Alliance of the Heart
by MaureenT
Summary: A tag to Death Knell. After the events at the Alpha Site and the subsequent collapse of the alliance, Daniel offers to stay with Sam to help her as she heals from her injuries – and to spend time with the woman he secretly loves. D&S romance. COMPLETE! NOTE: Rating changed.
1. Chapter 1

**Alliance of the Heart**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Categories:** Romance, Angst, Friendship  
**Content Warning:** Adult Themes, Mild Profanity, Strong Sexual Content  
**Spoilers:** The First Commandment, Hathor, In the Line of Duty, Prisoners, The Gamekeeper, Need, Forever in a Day, Jolinar's Memories, The Devil You Know, Divide and Conquer, Summit, Last Stand, Meridian, Revelations, Abyss, Metamorphosis, The Changeling, Full Circle, Fallen/Homecoming, Evolution, Grace, Chimera, Death Knell.

**Author's Notes:** **This story contains a Daniel/Sam romance.** It also has lots of friendship bonding between Daniel and Sam. I wrote this story because I really thought that there should have been a scene with Daniel and Sam after Sam was rescued in Death Knell. I had intended it to be a short story, but it turned into a novel.

* * *

INTRODUCTION

This is a very old Stargate fanfic of mine, which I've been intending to post here for quite a while. It was my first truly Daniel/Sam-centric story. In fact, it's one of the most Daniel/Sam-centric fics I've ever written, focusing almost exclusively on their relationship. It has won more fanfic awards than any other story I've written, although I think that has more to do with the fact that there weren't very many Daniel/Sam novel-length stories out there at the time it was written, which was back in early 2004, and the D/S shippers really liked it because it is so very much focused on Daniel and Sam. Do not expect any missions or action/adventure stuff in this. It is a relationship story in its purest form. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, please do read on.

CHAPTER ONE

Jacob left the infirmary, his heart heavy with the thought that it might be a long time before he'd see his daughter again. If he couldn't convince his fellow Tok'ra that they were making a mistake by ending the alliance with Earth, it might be many months before he could return.

Jacob's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Daniel leaning dejectedly against the wall a few yards down the hallway. He stopped and watched the younger man. The linguist was clearly upset. Jacob recalled Daniel's outburst in the briefing room, how angry it had made the archeologist that the Tok'ra and Jaffa were pulling out of the alliance after Sam had suffered so much and nearly died because of her efforts to give all of them a new weapon in the fight against Anubis. Daniel had been the only one with the guts to voice his disgust over the whole thing.

Jacob's thoughts turned to Daniel's earlier visit to him in the infirmary. He had known right off that the young man wasn't really there to check up on him. There had been only one thing on Daniel's mind, and that was Sam.

_'He's in love with her, Jacob,'_ Selmak said.

_'Yes, I know. I've suspected it for a while, but I'm certain of it now.' _

_'She loves him, too.' _

Jacob did not deny it. The night he held his daughter in his arms as she cried for hours after Daniel's 'death' left no doubt in his mind about her feelings for the man.

_'So, what are we going to do about it?'_ Selmak asked.

_'We?' _

_'Of course "we," Jacob. Who was it who told you years ago that Daniel and Samantha make a good couple? They'd be good for each other. You know that as well as I do. Daniel is a good man, one of the finest, most honorable humans I have ever met. He'd make a wonderful Tok'ra. It really is too bad that he is so against the idea.' _

_'Selmak, Daniel would make a lousy Tok'ra. He's too independent and strong-willed, and his sense of morality and desire to help those in trouble are too great for him ever to accept the way the Tok'ra do things. Any symbiote that was blended with him would probably spend half their time arguing with him about the actions they should take in any given situation. Just ask Jack.' _

Selmak chuckled. _'Yes, you're probably right. I'd pity the poor symbiote who would try to change him to the Tok'ra way of thinking. Besides, he'd never be willing to leave SG-1 and join us.' _

_'No, he wouldn't.' _

_'So, back to my earlier question. What are we going to do about Daniel and your daughter? It seems pretty clear to me that they aren't going to do anything about it on their own. This new boyfriend of Samantha's seems to prove that.'_ The last sentence was spoken in a tone of disapproval.

Jacob smiled inwardly. Selmak had already voiced his displeasure about Sam's relationship with Pete Shanahan, and Jacob had to agree with him. As soon as Jacob found out that the cop had followed Sam like she was a suspect in a case, Jacob had taken an instant disliking to the man, even though he had yet to meet him. Apparently, Pete had been unable to accept the fact that Sam could not reveal anything about her job and had been determined to find out what she was hiding. Some could argue that it was a result of his instincts as a cop coming to the fore, but that didn't excuse his actions. He chose to follow his own girlfriend, and then spied on SG-1 as they conducted an important, dangerous and classified mission. His need to satisfy his curiosity had outweighed everything else. What he did had been a betrayal of Sam's trust and a clear display of the man's lack of trust in Sam. Classified is classified, and the man should have accepted that. Frankly, Jacob was surprised that Sam hadn't sent Pete packing after she found out what he did. Fortunately, the cop was back in Denver on a big case, and both Jacob and Selmak were hoping that the time away from him would make Sam see that he wasn't the right man for her.

_'Perhaps it's time that we gave her a nudge in the right direction,'_ Selmak suggested. They looked at the lone figure up ahead. _'Or perhaps it's Daniel whom we should be nudging. I think he's more aware of his feelings in this matter than your daughter is.' _

_'So, what would you suggest?' _

_'Ah, Jacob, Jacob. You can't expect me to tell you everything. Use your imagination, my dear host. I'm sure you'll think of something.' _

_'Gee, thanks for all the help,'_ Jacob said sarcastically.

_'You're welcome.' _

Grumbling a curse about his symbiote's questionable parentage, Jacob resumed walking and drew up beside Daniel, who had been oblivious to his presence up until then. The younger man straightened, pulling away from the wall.

"Oh, uh, hi, Jacob. How's Sam? Is she awake?"

Jacob could see the recognizable signs of fatigue on Daniel's face and guessed that he had not gotten any sleep. The former general knew that a good part of the archeologist's night had been spent sitting at his teammate's side, waiting for her to awaken.

"Yeah, she woke up just a little while ago."

Daniel visibly relaxed. "That's great news. I was really worried about her."

"She's going to be fine, Daniel. Sam's tough."

Daniel nodded, a soft smile on his face. "I know. She's one of the strongest people I've ever met."

Jacob's expression turned somber. "I just had to tell her about the Tok'ra pulling out of the alliance."

Daniel's gaze fell to the floor, anger flashing across his face. "I know you're one of them, Jacob, but what they're doing makes me so angry." He met the Tok'ra's eyes. "They act like they're the only ones who have lost people because of our alliance. What about the sacrifices we've made? What about when we went to rescue you on Netu? All of us could have died. What about Lieutenant Astor and Major Graham when they were made into Zatarks? What about all the humans who died on Revanna when Zipacna attacked the Tok'ra base? And what about the sixty-three humans who just died at the Alpha Site because either a Tok'ra or a Jaffa revealed its location to Anubis? Does the fact that there are humans to take their place in the SGC make their deaths unimportant?"

"No, of course not. The Tok'ra recognize the sacrifices that Earth has made in this alliance."

Daniel closed his eyes. "And it's all for nothing now, isn't it. We're really on our own. There won't be anyone to help us." He looked at Jacob. "If we fail, if Earth falls, do you really think that the Tok'ra will be able to defeat the Goa'uld on their own?"

Jacob sighed. "No. No, I don't, which is why I am going to try my best to get them to change their minds. We all need each other if we are going to win this fight." He laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Don't lose hope yet, Daniel. None of us are giving up."

Daniel nodded wearily. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes. We're moving our base again, just in case it's been compromised. I'm hoping that I'll be able to come back in a few months, preferably with good news." He studied Daniel's face. "Are you going in to see Sam?"

"Yeah, though I should imagine that she's not really in the mood for company right now." Daniel did not even bother trying to hide the concern and sorrow in his voice.

Jacob smiled faintly. "Don't let that stop you. The last thing my daughter should be doing is bottling everything up inside." His smile broadened. "And I happen to know that you are a whole lot better at getting her to open up than just about anyone else. I also know that, even when she doesn't talk, you're always there to offer comfort, and she needs that even more than she needs to talk." Jacob looked him straight in the eye. "You're good to my little girl, Daniel, and I appreciate that. You are a good friend to her." He paused. "More than a friend, I think."

Daniel's mouth fell open, his eyes widening with. . . . Was that fear?

"I-I-I. . . . We're just friends, Jacob. There's nothing . . . I've never. . . ." Daniel trailed off helplessly.

Jacob chuckled. "Calm down, Daniel. I have no intention of hitting you, and I'm not going to warn you to stay away from Sam. Just the opposite, in fact."

Daniel's eyes grew even bigger. "W-w-what?"

"Daniel, every father wants the best for his children. He wants them to meet someone who will be good to them, who will love them and make their dreams come true. You are a fine man. You have been a loyal friend to Sam for nearly seven years. You've stood by her through the worst of times, and you accept her as she is. You have given her love, and comfort, and companionship. You also happen to be one of the only men she knows who can equal her on an intellectual level, which, trust me, is a very important thing." He smiled fully. "On top of that, you are just about the only man my daughter has had more than a brief relationship with whom she finds nearly impossible to get angry at. And _that_, my boy, is quite an achievement."

Daniel blushed and cast his gaze to the floor.

"I want what's best for Sam, and I cannot think of anyone who would be better for her than you," Jacob concluded.

Daniel could not believe what he was hearing. Jacob Carter was actually encouraging him to court Sam? It was unbelievable. Oh, if only he could do it. If only he could believe that he had a chance with her.

"Do you love my daughter, Daniel?" Jacob asked gently when the archeologist remained silent.

Daniel sighed softly. "Yes," he admitted, too tired to deny it.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"The fact that she doesn't feel the same."

"Who says she doesn't?"

Daniel lifted his head. "We've always just been friends, Jacob, and Sam's had. . . . There have been other men that she's been interested in. She has a boyfriend now. I'm just a friend and teammate to her." He tried to keep the pain out of his voice, but he knew that he hadn't succeeded. He dropped his gaze again so that Sam's father wouldn't see the anguish in his eyes.

"Let me tell you something about my daughter, Daniel. On the matter of romance, Sam has never been able to see things clearly. She is incredibly smart when it comes to that brain of hers, but in regards to what's in her heart, it's a different story."

Daniel stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't give up the battle before you've even started fighting. You may lose out on something special." Jacob stepped back. "I have to go." He held out his hand, which Daniel shook. "Take care of yourself, Daniel, and take care of that daughter of mine. If you don't, I _will_ come back and punch your lights out."

Daniel smiled. "I'll do my best, though, most of the time, she's better at taking care of me."

Jacob laughed. "It usually does work both ways, my boy."

As he walked away, Jacob heard Selmak chuckling.

_'Well, that's one way of doing it,'_ the symbiote said.

_'Hey, you know me, Selmak. I'm not one for beating around the bush. The direct approach often works best.' _

_'So, do you think he'll take your advice?' _

_'I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we return, which I am damn well going to make happen as soon as possible.'_ He smiled inwardly. _'I want to be here for the wedding.' _

Selmak's silent laughter accompanied Jacob the rest of the way to the gate room.

* * *

Daniel kept staring down the corridor long after Jacob had disappeared from view. The man's words were whirling around in his mind so fast that they almost made him feel dizzy. Jacob had actually just told him to pursue Sam romantically. But could he do it? Could he take the chance and let Sam know how he felt about her? It was a huge risk. If Sam didn't feel the same, it might jeopardize their friendship, not to mention the fact that he'd feel like a big fool. Sam seemed happy with Pete, and he did sound like a good guy, even if Daniel didn't like the idea that he followed her. The archeologist smiled faintly. Jack had not been at all happy about that little fact, making noises about people who couldn't keep their noses out of things they should leave well enough alone.

After all these years, Sam was finally getting a real life outside the SGC. Would it be right for Daniel to potentially mess things up by admitting that he was in love with her? But what if what Jacob seemed to be implying was right? What if he did have a chance with her?

Daniel sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands, then headed into the infirmary. He looked over at Sam. Her face was turned away from the door, and he could tell that she was crying. For a moment, he thought about turning around and letting her have some time alone, but Jacob's words stopped him. He walked up to the bed.

"Hey, Sam," he said gently.

Sam quickly wiped away her tears and turned to her best friend. "Hey."

Daniel sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Okay. Still kind of tired."

"Well, you lost quite a bit of blood, and running around on that leg wasn't particularly good for your health." Daniel paused. "Sam, I know that your father told you about the end of the alliance."

"How could they, Daniel? How could the Tok'ra just suddenly back out like that?"

Daniel sighed. "I don't know. I guess it really shouldn't surprise me. I know it doesn't surprise Jack. We've never seen eye to eye with them on the way things should be done. The Tok'ra have their way of doing things and we have ours, and both sides think that theirs is the right way." Daniel looked at her closely. "Sam, did your dad tell you that the Jaffa are leaving, too?"

"What? Why?"

Daniel told her about the meeting, how things fell apart.

"What are we going to do now, Daniel? We won't have any help out there. We can't count on the Asgard to come to our aid."

"I don't know, Sam. But we have to keep fighting. We can't give up. I talked to your dad for a bit. They're moving the Tok'ra base again. He said that he's going to try to come back in a few months."

Tears filled Sam's eyes again. "For so many years, Dad and I weren't very close. It's ironic that we've become closer since he became a Tok'ra and started wandering all over the galaxy than we were all those years that we lived on the same planet. I'm going to miss him so much."

Daniel immediately pulled Sam up into a tight hug. The way she clung to him spoke of how much she needed to be held.

"It's going to be okay, Sam," he murmured. "It'll be all right." His own breath caught in his throat. "God, I was so worried about you," he said before he could stop himself. "I wish I'd been there with you at the Alpha Site when the attack came so that I could have helped you. At the very least, I wish I'd stayed with Jack and Teal'c on the rescue operation, though I know that I wouldn't have been of much use. I sure wasn't of any use here."

Sam settled back on the bed. "Why weren't you with them?" She had to admit that she missed having Daniel there when Jack and Teal'c finally found her. It would have felt good to have him hold her like he just did.

"Jack didn't want Jacob to be left alone, and he didn't want to lose any time in searching for you, so he told me to stay with your dad while he and Teal'c resumed the search. I wasn't completely happy about it, but he was right. An extra gun wouldn't have helped at all against one of those Goa'uld supersoldiers. By the time the medical team reached us, there would have been no point in me trying to catch up to Jack and Teal'c, even if I could have found them, so I came back here with Jacob and helped fill Hammond in. Then Jacob and the general asked me to sit in on the meeting with the Tok'ra and Jaffa representatives, though I ended up being of absolutely no use." Daniel did not try to hide his anger and disgust. He gazed into Sam's eyes, his anger fading. "I'm just glad that you're all right."

"And we have a working prototype for the weapon, one that I think will be at least ninety percent effective against the supersoldiers."

"Sam, if the weapon had been lost, you could have made another one. If we'd lost you. . . ." Daniel's gaze dropped to the bed for a moment, then returned to her eyes. "You can't be replaced."

Sam searched Daniel's eyes, seeing the remnant of the fear that he'd been suffering. It made her feel good to know that Daniel cared so much about her. He was the best friend that she'd ever had, and she loved him dearly. She was glad that he had not been at the Alpha Site when it was attacked. If he had been killed. . . . Sam halted that thought quickly. It was far too painful. She already knew the anguish of losing him. She never wanted to feel that pain again.

Daniel put a smile on his face. "So, how long are you in here for this time?"

"Janet said I could go home tomorrow, but I'm going to be laid up there for at least a week, then it'll probably be another couple of weeks before my leg is healed enough to return to full active duty. I have no idea what I'm going to do for that week at home. I have to stay off my feet as much as possible."

Daniel got a sudden idea. "How would you like some company?"

Sam looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"Well, SG-1 is going to be on stand-down until you're fully healed, so there aren't going to be any missions unless I go with another team."

"But don't you have work to do here?"

"Yeah, but I did get caught up a little while I was out of commission after that whole thing with the Honduran rebels. There's lots of work I can do that I don't need to be here for. I can just box up the artifacts and bring them and my laptop with me. The only other thing I need is a secure Internet connection," he smiled, "which I believe you have."

Sam also smiled. "Daniel, are you offering to stay with me at my place while I heal?"

"Sure. When I was the one who was laid up, you spent a lot of time helping me out. It's only fair that I return the favor." Daniel sobered. "That is if it's okay with you. If it's not, I'll understand."

Sam thought about it and suddenly decided that she liked the idea of having Daniel as a houseguest for a week. They didn't have much time to do things together outside of work anymore, and she found that she really missed that. It would be fun to spend some quality time with him.

"No, I think that would be really nice."

A full-blown, breathtakingly beautiful smile brightened Daniel's face, and Sam was instantly lost. She knew all too well the power of that smile and how it could melt the heart of just about any human female within sight of it, not to mention more than a few aliens. Funny how, after all these years, she was still not immune to it. In fact, its power over her seemed even greater now than it was when they first became friends.

Daniel rose to his feet, feeling quite happy now. "Well, I guess I'd better go talk to Jack and the general and get permission to be your roommate for the next week."

Sam said goodbye and watched Daniel leave. Once again, he had succeeded in making her feel better. He was really good at that.

"Well, you seem to be feeling a lot better," Janet said as she came up to the bed, pleased to see the smile now gracing her patient's face. "Can I thank Daniel for that?"

"Yeah. He offered to stay with me at my place and help me while I'm cooped up there."

"He did? That was very sweet of him."

"Well, that's Daniel. He is a sweetie."

"Yes, he is. I think a lot of my nurses are halfway in love with him. Unlike a certain colonel we both know, Daniel is always nice to the medical staff, even though he hates being here as much as anyone." Janet chuckled. "Not that he isn't a handful, mind you. You have no idea how hard it is saying no to him when he looks at you with those pleading blue eyes and that puppy dog expression. It's quite a weapon against the female gender."

"Oh, don't I know it!" Sam agreed, laughing. "And that smile of his should _definitely_ be classified as a deadly weapon. I have no defense against it."

Janet laughed as well. "It's a good thing Daniel's unaware of his affect on us females, otherwise he'd use it shamelessly."

"Yeah, he is pretty clueless in that regard, isn't he."

"Uh huh, which adds to his charm even more."

"Ah, do I hear someone talking about me?" asked a familiar voice. The two women looked at Jack, then turned back to each other, grinning.

"No, sir. We weren't talking about you," Sam told him.

"Oh." Jack looked a little disappointed. Then his expression changed. "Well, it's good to see that you've finally woken up, Carter. That was quite a nap you took."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got other patients to attend to," Janet said. "Don't keep her up too long, Colonel. She still needs rest."

Jack took Janet's place beside the bed as the doctor left. "So, how ya feeling?"

"Better, sir. Janet says that I'll be ready for active duty in a few weeks."

"Good. So, you gonna play around with that new weapon of yours while you're on the mend?"

"Once I get back, yes. I'm under orders to go home and stay there for the next week."

"Ah, yes. Been there, done that. You want us to do some shopping for you, get you all stocked up for the week?"

"No, sir, but thanks for offering. Daniel offered to stay with me to help me out."

Jack's eyebrows rose slightly. "He did?"

"Yes, sir. That is if it's all right with you and the general."

"Uh . . . yeah, I guess that's okay. Actually, Daniel could use some time off, time off when he's not healing from some injury, that is."

"Well, I don't think he really plans on taking the time off from work, sir. He said that he could bring some of his work with him to my place."

"As long he doesn't take any possible alien weapons disguised as artifacts with him, I guess that would be all right."

"I'll pass that along to him if I see him before you do. Actually, I think he went off in search of you to ask you about this."

"Ah. Well, I guess I'd better go track him down, then. I'm glad you're feeling better, Carter. I'll see you later."

Jack left the infirmary on a hunt for his archeologist. He found the younger man coming back from the direction of Jack's office.

"There you are," Daniel said. "I've been looking for you."

"Yes, that's what Carter said."

"Oh. Did she tell you about my plan?"

"Yes, she did. So, what's up with that?"

Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?

"When's the last time you volunteered to babysit Carter at her place?"

"I'm not going to be babysitting her, Jack. I'm just going to be helping her out. She needs to stay off her feet as much as possible. I figured that, if I was there, I could cook for her and do anything else around the place that needs doing. It's not like you haven't done the same thing for me when I was off my feet."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"Why?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "Well, um . . . because . . . because Carter's a woman."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" There was anger in Daniel's voice.

"I'm just worried about, well . . . the rumors that might get around. You know how people like to talk."

Daniel shrugged slightly. "Jack, if I'm not worried about that, why should you be?"

"You mean it doesn't bother you that people might think you and Carter are, um, involved?"

"No, not really. Some people already think that, have for quite a while now. I guess it's because Sam and I are so close and because we work together a lot. It really bothered me when Sha're was still alive, but, later on, I didn't let it get to me."

"So, it doesn't bother you at all?" Jack asked in surprise.

"No. It's not like it would cause a real problem for either one of us if someone higher up believed the rumors. I'm a civilian, so the rules aren't the same for me." Jack was staring at Daniel piercingly, which began making the archeologist uncomfortable. "So, is there going to be a problem with me staying with Sam? There are some artifacts that I want to bring with me to translate and catalog. Sam's computer has a secure connection, so I can safely work on it."

"Um, no, that's fine. You might want to run this by Hammond to be sure it's okay with him, though."

Daniel nodded. "I'll head down to his office now."

Hammond gave permission for Daniel to take the time off and said that it would be all right to take some of his work with him as long as nothing of a top secret nature left the base.

Looking forward to tomorrow, Daniel headed off to his office to start packing some of his work for the week at Sam's place.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The next morning, Daniel arrived at the infirmary to pick Sam up. He was looking forward to spending this time with her. What happened at the Alpha Site had really scared him. Those endless hours of waiting to find out if she was alive or dead had shown him how much he loved her and how important she was to his life. Daniel knew that experience had influenced his decision to offer to stay with her for the week. She could have died so easily. If Jack and Teal'c had arrived just a couple of minutes later. . . .

_'Don't think about it, Daniel,'_ he told himself. _'She's all right. She's alive. You didn't lose her.' _

Taking his own advice, Daniel pushed the bad thoughts out of his mind and waited as Sam got dressed. A few minutes later, she parted the curtain around her bed and came out. As per doctor's order, she was using crutches.

"I really hate these things," she grumbled.

"Tell me about it," Daniel said, knowing exactly how she felt. "At least you only have to use them for a few days."

Janet handed Daniel a sheet of paper and a bag. "Here are her medications, some medical supplies you'll be needing, and instructions. She shouldn't have any problem with infection, but keep an eye on it all the same. You've both been in this situation enough times in the past to know what symptoms to look out for. And try to keep her off her feet as much as humanly possible."

Daniel smiled. "Don't worry, Janet. I'll take good care of her."

"I'm sure you will, Daniel. If you have any questions, just call." Janet turned to Sam, who didn't look at all amused about being talked about like she was a child. "I'll stop by to check up on you in a couple of days."

A while later, Daniel and Sam were in his car and on their way down the mountain. Daniel glanced over at Sam, who was staring out the side window.

"You are okay about this, aren't you, Sam?"

She turned to him. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine with it, though it really wasn't necessary for you to do this. I'd have gotten along all right on my own."

"I know. I just thought it would be easier on you if you have someone to help. Besides, when's the last time you and I really spent some time together?"

Sam sighed. "A long time, too long."

"Yeah. Things have been really busy these past few months."

"Well, at least you're not doing the all-nighters like you used to. I sometimes used to think that you might as well move into your office."

Daniel smiled. "I still do pull the occasional all-nighter, but I guess I sort of learned my lesson that life is too short to spend all of it working." He snorted. "Not that I have a real life outside of the SGC. But at least going home most nights gives the illusion that I do."

Sam looked at his profile. There had been no bitterness in Daniel's voice. It was as if he was just stating a fact. "Doesn't that bother you, that you don't have a life outside of work?"

Daniel didn't answer for a moment. "Sometimes, but I guess I've gotten used to it."

His words made Sam feel sad. "You shouldn't have had to."

Daniel glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you should have a life outside of work. It isn't right that you're alone."

The complete silence that followed her statement made Sam realize that she shouldn't have said that. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I shouldn't have said that."

The archeologist sighed. "No, it's all right. I've gotten used to being alone, too. Actually, it was just a matter of becoming accustomed to it again. I've spent the better part of my life alone." He paused for a moment. "It's really kind of funny when you think about it. I spent twenty-three years alone for the most part, yet it took only a few weeks for me to get used to _not_ being alone. Then, when I found myself alone once again, it took a long time to get reaccustomed to it."

Sam stared at him. "Daniel, you're not alone. You have us."

Daniel looked at her with a soft smile. "I know, Sam." He returned his eyes to the road. _'But that doesn't keep me from feeling lonely at night and wishing you were there with me,'_ he added silently.

The rest of the trip was made mostly in silence. Once they reached Sam's house, Daniel helped her inside. After she was safely settled on the couch, he went out to get his stuff. Besides his suitcase, he had his laptop, a notebook, and three boxes full of artifacts that he needed to work on.

"Where should I put all these things?" he asked after he'd brought the last of it in.

"Um, you can hang your clothes in the coat closet. There's room in there. I've got some spare hangers in my bedroom closet. As for the other things, I guess you can store those in there, too." She looked in amusement at all the stuff he'd brought. "So, you think you got enough there to keep you busy for the week?"

Daniel smiled and shrugged. "I probably overdid it, but I wanted to make sure I didn't have to take a trip back to the mountain."

After putting everything away and hanging up his clothes, Daniel wandered around the room. His gaze landed on a framed photo of Sam and a handsome man with blond hair. Daniel stared at the man, guessing that this was the new love in Sam's life. He didn't meet Pete when the man was recovering from his injuries in the infirmary even though Daniel had also spent some time there because of being ribboned yet again. The truth was that he'd deliberately avoided meeting the guy, not wanting to look upon the face of the man with whom the woman he loved was in a relationship.

Feeling a sharp, painful jab of jealousy and sorrow spear through his heart, Daniel turned away from the photo. Just then, a thought occurred to him.

"Uh, I didn't think about this before. Is me staying here going to cause a problem with Pete?"

Sam blinked, surprised that she hadn't even thought of that. It must be because she wasn't yet used to considering a boyfriend's opinion on decisions she made. "To be honest, I didn't think about that either."

"Sam, if it's going to be a problem—"

"No, no," she said quickly. "Pete knows that you're my best friend, Daniel. I told him all about you."

Now it was Daniel's turn to be surprised. "You did?"

"Of course. You're an important part of my life, just like the colonel and Teal'c are." She smiled, wondering if she should tell him something else.

Daniel saw the smile. "What?"

"I think Pete was kind of jealous of you."

Daniel's eyebrows nearly hid in his hair. "Of me?"

"Yeah. I was singing your praises pretty loudly, telling him how smart you are, how you opened the gate, all the ways in which you are so valuable to the Stargate Program. When I told him you spoke twenty-three Earth languages and several off-world ones as well, he was kind of awed."

Daniel blushed and ducked his head. Sam grinned at the sight, thinking he looked adorable. Her smiled grew even bigger with her next words.

"I think maybe he had the wrong picture in his mind of what you looked like."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh. I think he was imagining you as more of the geeky professor type, that is until I showed him your picture." Sam smiled inside as she recalled the stunned look that had been on Pete's face when he saw the photo of Daniel. It was a very good picture of the archeologist, showing to perfection not only his handsome face but also the well-developed physique of his broad shoulders and chest. It, along with photos of Jack, Teal'c, Janet and Cassie, had been Cassie's present to Sam on her last birthday. The girl had taken photos of everyone with her digital camera, then printed them up and put them in a beautiful frame, which was now proudly displayed on a wall in Sam's living room. Sam had a sneaking suspicion that the teenager had paid extra attention to getting a good photo of Daniel. And who could blame her?

"Ah." Daniel frowned thoughtfully. "I guess I don't exactly look like that now anymore, huh."

"Not even close, Daniel. Actually, I never thought you looked like a geek, not really."

"Not even when I had the long hair?"

"Nope, not even then. Glasses and long hair do not a geek make."

"Well, you were in the minority, Sam. Most people saw me as a geek, including Jack."

Sam remembered when that jerk she beat at pool at O'Malley's called Daniel a geek, something that, to this day, she still didn't understand since the archeologist hadn't even been wearing his glasses that night and had most definitely not looked like a geek. Daniel's reaction to the insult led her to believe that it bothered him to be called that.

"Did it bother you to be thought of that way?" she asked quietly.

Daniel looked out across the room. "Yeah, sometimes. It was yet another thing that I got used to in time . . . mostly."

Sam found herself looking Daniel over, from the top of his head down to his shoes, thinking that nobody in their right mind would see him as a geek now. Daniel had never been what she'd call skinny, despite the narrowness of his hips and waist. He'd always had a good pair of shoulders on him and a nice chest. But in these years that he'd been with SG-1, he had broadened out and had gained quite a bit of muscle mass, particularly in the chest, shoulders and arms. Simply put, Daniel was a total hunk now, with or without his glasses. It was no wonder that he turned so many female heads.

Surprised at the touch of jealousy that last thought incurred, Sam returned her gaze to Daniel's face before he could catch her looking at him like that. He turned back to her, his striking blue eyes staring into hers penetratingly.

"You didn't really answer my question, you know," he said.

"Uh . . . what question was that?"

"Whether or not me being here is going to cause a problem with Pete."

"Oh. Um, no, I don't think so. Pete's on a big case right now and is putting in a lot of hours. I'm not expecting to see him until next weekend."

"Well, I'll be sure to be out of here before then," Daniel said. "I wouldn't want to get in the way. To be honest, though, if I was in Pete's shoes, I wouldn't be thrilled about the idea of a man sleeping over here."

"No?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not one little bit."

The fervency of Daniel's statement surprised Sam. She tried to read his expression, but failed. "Well, if he finds out and doesn't like it, I'll just explain that you were being a good friend and watching over me."

The archeologist smiled again. "Okay." His smile turned into a grin. "Of course, there is the chance that, once you're subjected to my cooking, you might kick me out."

Sam laughed. "That bad, huh?"

Daniel came and sat down on the couch beside her. "Well, no, not really. I get by. I've been cooking for myself for quite a while, so I had to learn a few things to keep from poisoning myself. I got out of practice during the year I spent on Abydos, though. Married men do _not_ do any cooking there. Even just suggesting it will earn you some weird looks or even outright laughter." Daniel grew a tender smile. "I tried once anyway. Sha're wasn't feeling well and was really not up to doing the cooking, so I attempted to make some soup."

"I get the feeling that 'attempted' is the key word in that sentence."

Daniel grinned. "Yeah. I'd never made my own soup before. It kind of looked more like mush by the time it was done. It did serve one good purpose, though."

"What's that?"

"By the time Sha're stopped laughing, she felt much better."

Sam laughed delightedly. "It sounds like you have a lot of good memories of Abydos."

Daniel's smile dimmed to one of bittersweet remembrance. "Yeah, I do. It was one of the happiest years of my life."

Sam looked at him closely. "Does it still hurt to think about it?"

Daniel thought about that. "Not the good memories, the ones before Apophis came. I can think about those, about how Sha're was back then, and it doesn't hurt all that much anymore. But the later memories of her still hurt, and it hurts to . . ." his voice wavered, "to think about the fact that it's all gone now, that everyone is gone."

Sam covered his hand with hers, giving what comfort she could. She could only imagine the pain Daniel would be suffering at the knowledge that Abydos was no more.

The archeologist gave her hand a quick squeeze, then cleared his throat and quickly got to his feet. "It's getting close to lunchtime. Do you have anything or do I need to go get something?"

"I think there's some cheese and bread in the fridge. I haven't done any shopping lately since I was spending so much time in the lab and at the Alpha Site."

"Okay, how about some grilled cheese sandwiches, then? I'm an expert at those."

"Sure. Sounds good."

As Daniel prepared lunch, Sam laid down on the couch to ease the strain on her leg. She was just starting to dose off when a light touch on her arm roused her. She blinked her eyes open to see Daniel crouched beside her, an expression of such loving tenderness on his face that it made her breath catch.

"Lunch is ready," he said.

She sat up and started to swing her legs around, but he stopped her.

"No, stay there. I'll get you a pillow for your back."

Daniel headed off to the linen closet. Sam looked at the coffee table and saw that he had placed her lunch on a tray so that she could eat it stretched out on the couch.

Daniel returned with a couple of pillows, which he put behind her back. Once she was settled, he gave her the tray. Then he got his own lunch and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that you are going to spoil me rotten this whole week," Sam said between bites of her sandwich.

Daniel gave her a mischievous look. "Hmm. Could be."

"Careful, Daniel. I may decide I like it so much that I won't let you go home."

"I can think of worse fates."

The reply surprised Sam, but she hid it well.

After lunch, Daniel decided to go do some grocery shopping. He returned a couple of hours later to find that Sam was no longer in the living room. He went to her bedroom and found her fast asleep. Unable to stop himself, he walked up to the bed and gently brushed away the hair that had fallen across her cheek.

Daniel knew that, in some ways, this week was going to be very hard for him. It would take a monumental act of will not to let Sam see how much he wanted to be with her. At work, it was a lot easier. There were things to distract him, stuff to keep his mind busy. But being here alone with her – sleeping under the same roof, eating meals together, spending time being friends – was going to make it really hard.

He'd been in love with Sam for a long time now, far longer than even he had realized. It hadn't been until after he'd descended and regained his memories that he woke up to the truth about his feelings. He had no idea when he actually started falling in love with Sam. It was a gradual thing, building over their years together. A part of him suspected that he had begun to feel that way even before Sha're's death, although that thought made him feel ashamed and guilty. In the end, it didn't really matter when it started. All that did matter was that he was in love with her, utterly and completely. He had found love again, despite his belief that he never would. The difference was that, this time, the object of his affection probably didn't feel the same way, and he was scared to death to let her know how he felt.

With a last look at Sam's beautiful face, Daniel returned to the kitchen and put away the groceries as quietly as possible. He then fetched his laptop, notebook, and one of the boxes of artifacts and got to work.

* * *

It was quiet in the house when Sam awoke. The clock beside her bed told her that she'd been asleep for nearly three hours. Daniel had to be back by now.

Carefully easing herself out of bed, Sam grabbed her crutches and made her way out of the bedroom. The increased ache in her leg was telling her that she was overdue for a pain pill. As she moved into the living room, Sam saw Daniel sitting at the dining room table. He was busy writing something in his notebook. After a moment, he looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey there. Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, I did. I wasn't planning on sleeping that long, though."

"Well, you're entitled to be lazy for the next week." Daniel glanced at his watch. "It's past time for your medication. Go get comfy, and I'll get your pills."

Sam sat on the couch with her left foot on the coffee table. Daniel returned a moment later with a couple of pills and a glass of water. She thanked him and downed the medication. Daniel then took a throw pillow from her couch and slid it under her foot.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thanks."

He looked at her leg. "Um, you're supposed to put more of the antibacterial cream on your wound."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I guess I should go do that. It's not easy getting my pants on and off with these bandages."

"Well, why don't you wear shorts? Then it'll be easier."

"Good idea."

Sam returned to the bedroom and changed into a pair of shorts. When she came back out, she saw that Daniel had the cream and the bandaging supplies all ready. He helped her remove the old bandages then took a good look at the wound.

"Looks fine," he said. "Janet does a good job with the needlework, doesn't she."

"Well, she should. She gets enough practice."

"Yeah, I've probably gotten several thousand stitches over these past seven years."

Sam applied some cream to the wound, and Daniel helped put on a new bandage.

"There you go. All done," he said. He put the supplies away. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Nope, I'm fine. Oh, could you grab the book that's on my nightstand?"

"Sure."

Daniel fetched her book, then got back to work. After reading for around a half-hour, Sam looked over at him. A stone figurine was in his left hand. The fingers of his other hand were sliding over it gently and lovingly, as if he was caressing a lover. The thought sent a little quiver through Sam, which surprised the heck out of her. Even so, she continued watching him, seeing the expression of absolute concentration on his face. This was Doctor Daniel Jackson in his purest form. No sidearm at his hip, no military trappings, just him and his beloved artifacts, his amazing mind delving into the history, beauty and mysteries of an ancient culture. It was the Daniel Jackson she had come to know even before she met him, through the papers he'd published and the articles he'd written. She had learned a lot about the man who had been brought in to unlock the Stargate. Yet what she had learned on paper could not come close to describing the man of flesh and blood. Not even Catherine Langford's description of him truly did him justice.

She had known Daniel for almost seven years, yet there were still depths to him that remained unplumbed, mysteries still hidden. She knew so little about his past. She knew that his childhood had not been a happy one, but he never talked about it. If it had not been for the Keeper, she would probably never have known that he'd witnessed his parents being crushed to death when he was only eight years old.

Daniel was a man of many contradictions. He opened himself up so fully to the pain of others, ready in an instant to listen to their troubles and fears, yet, for the most part, he kept his own pain and fears hidden. He was a man of such gentleness and compassion, yet, when necessary, he could become a warrior of great skill and unswerving courage. Sam had never met anyone like him in her entire life.

Rousing from her thoughts, Sam was surprised to see that twenty minutes had passed as she reflected about her friend. She returned her attention to her book, but could no longer concentrate on it. After trying for several minutes, she gave up. She picked up the TV guide and looked through it to see if anything good was on. She noticed that they were having a special on the Australian Aborigines on the Discovery Channel. That sounded interesting.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it disturb you if I watched some TV?"

"No, go right ahead. If I can tune out Jack's grumbling and wisecracks while I'm working, I'll have no trouble with the TV."

As the special started, Daniel found his attention wandering to it. Around ten minutes into it, he left the dining room and perched on the arm of the couch.

"I think it's only a matter of time before we find a civilization on another planet with roots stemming from the Australian Aboriginal culture," he commented. "The Australian Aborigines have the longest continuous cultural history on Earth. It is generally believed that their ancestors came to the continent some fifty thousand years ago, perhaps even longer."

"Really? Wow, I had no idea. So, they were there long before the Goa'uld came to Earth."

The archeologist nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me if the Goa'uld took some of them as slaves. Actually, some of the legends about the Aboriginal Ancestral Spirits might have been born from appearances by the Goa'uld."

Daniel watched the rest of the special with her, inserting little bits of knowledge here and there from his own vast storehouse. He admitted that he didn't know a whole lot about the Aborigines, it being a culture he didn't spend much time studying.

"I never got the chance to go to Australia, though I sure would love to," he said. "There are Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings still in existence that date back at least thirty thousand years." His expression turned almost dreamy. "Think of the history."

Sam smiled. "Well, maybe, someday, you can still go."

"Yeah, maybe, if I ever manage to take a real vacation."

After the special was over, Daniel went back to work, and Sam resumed reading. It was around 5:30 when the archeologist put aside his work and came back over to the couch.

"So, any idea what you might like to have for dinner?" he asked. "I got chicken breasts, a couple of steaks, the fixings for spaghetti, and some salmon fillets."

"Wow. Choices, choices. Spaghetti sounds pretty good to me."

"Okay. I hope you don't mind sauce out of a jar. Your kitchen would probably never recover if I tried making my own, and I have my doubts that we would either."

Sam laughed. "I always use sauce out of a jar."

Since Sam kept insisting that she wanted to do something to help, Daniel had her make the salad, though he was adamant that she do it sitting down

Dinner was great, and Sam made sure to praise Daniel for the good job he'd done. "You know, not counting a few birthdays in the past, I can't remember the last time someone made dinner for me," she said. "It's kind of nice."

"It was my pleasure. I wish my repertoire of dishes was bigger. Maybe I'll have to go hunting for a cookbook or two. Do they have a Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking? They've got them on just about every other subject. I thought that there wasn't one on archeology, then I found the Complete Idiot's Guide to Lost Civilizations. Not exactly archeology, but close enough. I'm thinking about getting it for Jack's next birthday."

Sam's face split into a huge grin. "Is there one on astrophysics?"

"Hmm. We may have to check on that."

They both burst into laughter.

"You know, the colonel isn't nearly as dumb as he sometimes pretends to be," Sam stated.

"Yeah, I know, but it's still fun teasing him. I have to get back at him somehow for all the stupid names he labels me with."

"Yes, what is that all about?"

"Don't ask me. Where he got Space Monkey is a mystery to me."

"It's from an old cartoon called Space Ghost."

Daniel stared at her. "Now, how could you possibly know that?"

"From watching the Cartoon Network with my brother's kids. I used to watch the station with Cassie, too, when she was younger. She just loved cartoons. They didn't have anything like that on her planet."

The rest of the evening was spent talking about all different subjects. By the time Sam was ready to go to bed, she was feeling very happy and relaxed.

"This was a great day, Daniel," she said. "It's been too long since I spent a day with a good friend and just enjoyed myself. Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Sam. I had a great day, too. Hopefully, we'll avoid any disasters for the rest of the week and have some more good days. You do realize, however, that it's unlikely we'll get through the whole week without Jack and Teal'c coming over with pizza and beer."

"Of course."

"Um, is it hockey season yet?" Daniel made a face.

"I don't know, but, since this is my house and my TV, the colonel will just have to live without hockey when he's here."

"Thank God."

Daniel rose to his feet and helped Sam up. She began to turn away, then, on impulse, turned back around and planted a kiss on the archeologist's cheek.

"Thank you for being a good friend, Daniel," she murmured.

Since Daniel's tongue had temporarily lost the ability to function, he just nodded and smiled. He watched Sam hobble off to her bedroom, his fingers touching the place where she'd kissed him. An almost soundless sigh whispered past his lips.

A small, happy smile on his face, Daniel prepared his own bed on the couch, then went back to the dining room to do a little more work before turning in for the night. 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

The smell of cooking food awoke Sam the next morning. She entered the kitchen to find Daniel busy making eggs, bacon and buttermilk pancakes.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good. Wow, Daniel. If I had known that you'd spoil me like this, I'd have invited you to stay over every time I got hurt and had to recuperate at home. For that matter, I'd have asked you to stay over every time I got the flu."

Daniel chuckled. "Well, you'll just have to remember this in the future."

"Yes, I will. And the next time it's you who's laid up at home, I'll have to return the favor."

"Not necessary, Sam. I'm happy to do this for you.

"Don't be so quick to turn down my offer, Daniel. I don't go to the effort of cooking for just anyone, you know. That's only reserved for special people in my life."

Daniel looked at her, smiling. "Well, in that case, I accept. The very next time I'm shot, blown up, fall over a cliff, have an internal organ rupture, or whatever, I'll let you take care of me afterwards."

"Deal."

After breakfast, Sam did some work on her laptop as Daniel resumed his own work. They kept at it until lunch. They'd just finished eating when there was a knock on the door.

"Five bucks says that's Jack and Teal'c," Daniel said.

"No bet," Sam responded.

Daniel answered the door and, sure enough, the other half of SG-1 was on the other side.

"Teal'c and I were out and about and thought we'd drop by to see how you're doing," Jack told them.

"We're doing fine, sir," Sam responded. "Daniel is taking excellent care of me."

"Is he now? Well, that's good. I can't remember him doing that with me the few times that I've been in this situation."

"There's a very good reason for that, Jack," Daniel said. "Unlike you, Sam actually let's me do things for her. Every time I tried to help you out when you were recovering from an injury, you always insisted on doing everything yourself, even if it just about killed you. I finally gave up even trying."

"Hey, I was willing to let you help me when I broke my leg that last time."

"Jack, you offered to let me wax your car for you. That isn't what I had in mind when I came over to see if you needed anything."

"Well, it needed waxing," Jack muttered. "And you should have considered it an honor that I'd be willing to let you do it. I don't let any old Tom, Dick or Harry wax my car, you know."

"Ah. Well, I will be sure to respond with the proper air of humble gratitude next time."

Jack shot him a glare, then turned to Sam. "So, what have the two of you been doing to occupy your time? I know that I hate being cooped up with an injury."

_'Well, now there's a newsflash,'_ Daniel said to himself, remembering how bad a mood Jack got in every time he was forced to rest because of an injury.

"Nothing exciting, sir. Daniel's been working mostly, and I did a bit of work as well. Other than that, just some reading, chatting, and a little TV."

"The Discovery Channel, Jack," Daniel told him. "I'm sure you would have found it fascinating." A little spark of mischief lit inside him. "Sam and I are planning a two month vacation in Australia."

To Sam's credit, she managed to keep the surprise off her face.

"You're what?" Jack exclaimed.

"I've always wanted to go there and study the history and culture of the Aborigines. We figured that, to do it right, we'd need at least a couple of months. We'd make it even longer, but we wouldn't want to take too much time off from saving the galaxy."

Jack looking back and forth between the two of them, staring at them piercingly. "You're kidding, right? I mean, that was a joke, wasn't it?" He paused. "Two months?" He was nearly whining when he spoke the last two words.

Their faces totally serious, Daniel and Sam looked at each other. Then they suddenly broke into laughter. They turned back to Jack.

Realizing that they'd been yanking his chain, Jack grabbed Daniel by the back of the neck and gave him a slight shake. "Why you. . . . I'll get you for that one, Daniel," he growled.

The archeologist grinned broadly. "Hey, we could all go together, Jack. You could go off and have fun chasing kangaroos and learning how to throw a boomerang. You know, I bet a boomerang would penetrate one of those Goa'uld personal shields since they move relatively slowly."

"Yeah, I can just see myself requesting that we add boomerangs to the standard armament for all SG teams."

"It would be most interesting to travel to Australia," Teal'c stated. "The wildlife there is unlike any I have ever encountered, and the history of the natives is that of a strong, proud and noble people. They have suffered greatly at the hands of the white men who colonized the continent, yet some tribes have managed to preserve their culture and beliefs despite the odds against them."

Daniel looked at the Jaffa in surprise. "You know about the Aborigines?"

"Indeed. I have read much about them and have also watched programs on television."

"Yeah, well, don't go booking your plane tickets yet," Jack said. "We've got more important things to do than run around with a bunch of naked guys with spears."

"Jack, only some Aboriginal tribes wore no clothing, and that practice was halted a very long time ago," Daniel informed him. "In fact, the larger portion of the Aboriginal populace live within cities and towns now."

"Whatever. The Land Down Under will just have to wait for you. The rest of the galaxy's got first dibs on your time. Okay, back to what I was going to say. T and I thought that we'd come over tonight with some pizza and beer, maybe catch a—"

"No!" Daniel and Sam exclaimed at the same time, startling Jack.

"Well, why the hell not?" he asked petulantly.

"Pizza and beer are fine, Jack," Daniel told him, "but under no circumstances are we going to watch hockey. Got it?"

"But—"

"My house and my TV, sir," Sam reminded him.

Jack gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. No hockey."

"Then you are welcome to come over tonight, Colonel. We'd be happy to have you."

"Great. Say around seven? We'll pick up the pizzas on the way over."

"That would be good."

Jack and Teal'c left a few minutes later. Sam smiled at Daniel.

"Well, we were right," Sam said. "Pizza and beer . . . and a plea to watch hockey."

"Yep. In some ways, Jack can be frighteningly predictable."

The rest of the day passed quietly. That night, along with the food, Jack also brought a couple of videos since they weren't going to let him watch a game. It was a nice evening, and everyone had a good time.

The next morning, Sam awoke earlier. She got up to find the house empty. Figuring that Daniel must have gone out to get something, she went to take her shower. She'd just exited the bathroom when the front door opened to admit Daniel, who was dressed in sweats and had apparently been out jogging.

Not noticing her presence, he stripped off his sweatshirt, baring his upper body, and Sam suddenly found herself breathless. Even though they'd been teammates for almost seven years, Sam had rarely seen Daniel without his shirt on, and virtually every time she had was when he was in the infirmary. Now, suddenly presented with the opportunity, she stared shamelessly at his body, unaware that her jaw was hanging open. Whoa. Okay, she knew that he worked out a lot nowadays. She'd seen the results. But, at that moment, seeing him standing there, naked from the waist up, his skin glistening with sweat, it really hit her. Doctor Daniel Jackson, holder of three PhD's and owner of a brain that could think circles around most other people, looked like something straight out of the pages of Playgirl Magazine.

_'Holy Hannah! Did it suddenly get warm in here?'_ Sam asked herself. _'Why is my mouth so dry?' _

At that moment, Daniel noticed his audience and froze, his own mouth dropping open. Sam was dressed it a lightweight, satiny robe that clung to her damp skin like it was glued on. Almost against his will, Daniel's eyes gravitated to her breasts, which he could clearly see the outlines of against the material.

_'Oh, damn,'_ Daniel cursed silently as he felt a spark of arousal blossom inside. With an effort, he dragged his eyes upward to her face. "Uh-uh, Sam. I-I didn't expect you up yet," he stammered.

"Huh?" Sam cleared her throat and regained control of herself. "Oh, um, yeah. I woke up early and decided to go ahead and get up." Just then, she remembered that she was only dressed in a robe. "I'll, uh, go get dressed."

"Yeah. I . . . I need to take a shower."

As Sam quickly escaped to her bedroom, Daniel hurriedly grabbed some clothes from the closet and went into the bathroom. Once safely inside, he leaned back against the door. Okay, that was close, way too close. For a single irrational moment, he'd been fighting against the urge to stride across the room, take her into his arms and kiss the breath out of her. Not good. Not good at all. They were only just starting their third day together, and his self-control was already getting a major workout. Daniel was beginning to wonder if he was strong enough to make it though the week without letting Sam know how he felt. Should he even bother trying? If he hadn't misunderstood Jacob, there was a chance that Sam might be agreeable to taking their relationship to the next level. But could he take the chance, gamble a sure thing – Sam's friendship – on something that may or may not be true? Perhaps it was time to start feeling her out about this. He would have to be extremely careful, though, very subtle. Okay, he could do subtle.

Decision made, Daniel stripped and went to take his shower, thinking that maybe he should make it a cold one.

* * *

Sam sat rather heavily on her bed, still feeling a bit overheated.

_'Okay, what was that? You were just turned on, **extremely** turned on, by the sight of your half-naked best friend, a man you've worked with for going on seven years. That is not supposed to happen. That's Daniel, remember? Sweet, gentle, caring . . . gorgeous, passionate, sexy. . . . Oh, boy.'_ Sam lowered her head into her hands. _'Get a grip, Samantha. Yes, he is gorgeous. You already knew that. It was simply made a whole lot more evident a moment ago. You are a healthy, heterosexual woman, after all. It is totally logical that you'd experience, um, feelings when presented with the naked chest of a very handsome and well-built man. It was just a normal, physiological response to stimuli. That's all. Just a momentary thing. It won't happen again, and you will not start thinking about the fact that Daniel is, at this very moment, totally naked and taking a shower in your bath—' _

Sam leapt off her bed and went to the closet. _'Not gonna think about it. Not gonna think about it,'_ she chanted as she almost frantically searched through her clothes for something to wear. She picked an oversized sweater that hung down past her hips and an old, worn pair of jeans that were a size too big. She did not even try to analyze why she'd chosen to wear the least attractive clothing she owned.

By the time she was dressed and felt ready to face Daniel, he was in the kitchen making breakfast. Thankfully, he'd chosen to wear loose-fitting Dockers, and his shirt was untucked. Sam wasn't sure she'd have been able to handle it if he had been wearing those black jeans that she knew were hanging in the coat closet. They would most definitely have set her off again.

Breakfast was eaten in silence, each of them giving the other furtive glances when they thought it wouldn't be noticed. Daniel was the first one to break the silence.

"You know, I got to thinking about something."

"What's that?"

"Well, you know how we teased Jack about going on vacation in Australia?"

"Uh huh."

"Do you realize that, during all these years that we've known each other, we have never once gone on a vacation together?"

Sam stopped to think about it and realized that he was right. "You're right. We haven't. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Well, actually, I do. When is the last time that either one of us went on a vacation at all, left the city and went somewhere to have fun or to relax?"

"A really long time."

"Exactly. Most of the time, when we're given leave, we spend it doing some kind of project that we've been wanting to work on for ages but never seem to find the time for. The few times that Jack made us leave the mountain during our leave, we took work home with us, or at least I know I did."

"I did, too," Sam admitted.

"You know, thinking about it, the last time I took time off and actually went somewhere was when I attended Doctor Jordan's funeral." He shook his head. "And look how that turned out."

"So, given our habit of working while on leave, I guess it's not so strange that we've never gone on one together."

"Yeah." Daniel studied her face. "Soooo . . . would you like to?"

Sam returned his gaze, surprise on her face. "You mean go vacationing together?"

"Sure, why not? Maybe we could take a road trip, see the sights in and around Colorado. I think it would be fun."

Sam thought about the idea and had to agree that going on a road trip with Daniel would, indeed, be fun. "Just the two of us? Not the colonel and Teal'c?"

Daniel cocked an eyebrow. "Sam, would you really want to go on a road trip with Jack?"

Sam thought about that. "Um . . . no."

Daniel smiled. "I didn't think so. He'd get bored if we spent more than five minutes anywhere that he didn't want to go, would put a halt to any conversations that he couldn't follow along with, and would probably want to go fishing in every lake we came within twenty miles of."

Sam grinned, thinking that Daniel had just perfectly described how Jack would likely be. "Okay, just the two of us, then, since I really can't picture taking Teal'c on a road trip."

"Nooo, that could be . . . scary," Daniel agreed. He looked at Sam closely again. "So, does this mean that you'd really be willing to do that?"

Sam made a sudden decision. "Yeah. Yeah, I would. Like you said, I think it would be fun, and we are way, way overdue for doing something like that."

Daniel rewarded her statement with a huge smile. "Great! The next time we get some leave, we'll have to do that." Daniel's smile abruptly disappeared. "Oh. I just thought of something."

"What?"

"Pete."

"Oh." Sam was ashamed to admit that, yet again, she had not thought about her boyfriend and what his thoughts would be. Would Pete be willing to let her go off alone with Daniel on a vacation? Probably not. In fact, there was no 'probably' about it. He would _definitely_ not like the idea. She could hear his reaction now.

Sam roused out of her thoughts and turned her attention back to Daniel. Where, a moment ago, he was looking so happy, he was now staring at the table, and, though he was obviously trying to hide it, she could see the disappointment on his face. Seeing that expression hardened her will.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's true that Pete wouldn't like the idea of me going off on a vacation with you, but it's my life and my decision. You're my friend, Daniel, my _best_ friend, and I have the right to spend whatever time with you that I want to. Pete will just have to accept that."

Daniel lifted his gaze to hers. "Are you sure, Sam? I wouldn't want to cause trouble between you."

"Daniel, if my relationship with Pete couldn't handle me going on vacation with you, then I really couldn't say much for that relationship, could I. If Pete trusts me, then he should know that nothing would happen between you and me."

"Sam, I don't think the issue would be whether or not he trusts _you_."

"What? You believe he'd think that you would try to take advantage of me?"

"Well, he doesn't know me, Sam. You are a beautiful, desirable woman, and I'd be spending every day alone in your company and every night in the same hotel. He's a guy, Sam. Of course he's going to think that. I'd think the same thing in his position."

Sam only half-heard most of what Daniel had just said. She was too busy fixating on the fact that he had just called her beautiful and desirable. Did he really think of her that way? She'd always believed that Daniel didn't think much about the fact that she was a woman. No, that wasn't right. Daniel was definitely aware that she was a woman. It just surprised her that he might look at her from the perspective of a man looking at an attractive woman. The realization that he did look at her like that, at least sometimes, pleased her a lot more than it really should have.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

His question broke through her thoughts. "Um, nothing." The blush that appeared on her face announced that she was lying.

Daniel smiled puzzledly. "Sam, are you blushing? What is it?"

She shook her head. "No, it's silly. Just forget it."

Daniel responded by staring at her without mercy. She heaved a sigh, knowing that he wasn't going to let up.

"It just kind of surprised me that you would say that."

"Say what?" It suddenly dawned on Daniel what she was talking about. "You mean when I called you beautiful and desirable? Sam, I may wear glasses, but I'm not blind. Did you really think I never noticed how attractive you are?"

"I, um . . . I just believed that you never thought about it."

Daniel shook his head slightly. "Sam, I'm not your brother. But then, even if I was, I'd have to be an idiot not to see how beautiful you are. As for the . . . other part of that statement, yes, I do recognize that you are a woman who would be desirable to men." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I may be an honorary monk these days, but I'm definitely still a man."

Sam laughed. "An honorary monk, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"How come?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, Daniel. You can't tell me that no woman in the past few years has shown an interest in you. That's impossible."

This time, it was Daniel who blushed. Yes, there had been some women who'd made no secret of the fact that they were interested in him. He'd even gotten asked out a few times. Heck, there had been a couple of women who'd wanted to skip past the whole dating thing and go straight to the main event.

"Um . . . yes, I've gotten asked out a few times," he admitted uncomfortably.

"But you turned them down."

"Yeah."

"Why?" A thought occurred to Sam. "Is it because of Sha're?" she asked gently.

"It used to be. It was for a long time. But not now, not since I descended."

"So, why, then?"

Daniel did not answer for several seconds. They were getting into dangerous territory now. "Lack of interest," he finally replied, which was the truth. All those other women held no interest for him. There was only one woman he wanted to be with, and she was sitting right there across the table from him. "I'm not a casual dater, never have been. If I'm not really interested in a woman, I generally prefer not to get into the dating thing."

"What about Sarah?" Sam blurted out, immediately regretting it. Sarah had only just been freed from Osirus, and she knew that Daniel's emotions were still touchy about what had happened.

The archeologist paused for quite a while, schooling his face. "You mean now or back when we were together?"

"Um . . . both. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Daniel. I shouldn't have brought her up."

"No, it's okay. It's a valid question. Like I told you before, I did have feelings for her back then. I really don't know if I was in love. The number of relationships I had in college was just about zip, and I had none at all in high school. When I met Sarah, we hit it off right away. We shared the same passion for archeology, specifically Egyptology. We became good friends, and it developed from there. What I felt for her was a lot stronger than what I'd ever felt for any other woman. Looking back on it now, though, after having loved Sha're, I know that what I felt for Sarah wasn't strong enough to have lasted. Just the fact that my research superseded our relationship told me that. As for now, I will always care about Sarah. She will always have a special place in my heart, but she and I are different people now. It could never go back to the way it was before, even if I wanted it to, which I don't."

Sam nodded. "So, Daniel Jackson's just going to stay the lone wolf?"

He looked into her eyes. "I hope not, not forever," he replied softly.

Sam gave him a smile and covered his hand with hers. "It won't be. I'm sure that, someday, you'll find someone. You just have to keep looking."

Daniel gave her a faint smile, then gathered the dirty dishes and took them to the sink. _'Oh, Sam,'_ he thought as he rinsed off the dishes. _'What would you say if I told you that I didn't have to look any farther than the person who is sitting at your table at this very minute?'_


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Daniel was having a hard time concentrating on work. His mind kept drifting to thoughts of Sam. He was pleased and excited that she'd accepted his invitation to go on vacation with him. The fact that she liked the idea of spending that much time with him was a good sign. It strengthened his hope that there might be a chance for them to become more than friends. Of course, it could just mean that she wanted to spend time with him simply because he was her friend, but this was the first real hope he'd felt regarding his relationship with Sam, and he didn't want to give it up.

Daniel had been trying to figure out how he was going to start feeling Sam out regarding her feelings for him without her getting wise to what he was doing. Candlelight dinners and things like that were out of the question. That was way too obvious. So, what could he do? What could he say? He just didn't know. So much for being a genius.

Sam looked over at Daniel for about the millionth time in the last hour. He appeared to be deep in thought, though he didn't seem to be doing much work. She wondered what was on his mind. His face was doing that cute scrunching up thing it did quite often, that look that was so _Daniel_. Sam laughed to herself. Over these years, she'd gotten to know so well all of Daniel's facial expressions and the various tones of his voice. Many times, he was an easy man to read, but, other times, it was like he erected an impenetrable wall around him that hid all of his emotions. That usually only happened when he was really hurting, and those were the times when she wished that he'd let her see his pain so that she could comfort him.

Sam had to admit that she was really looking forward to going on vacation with Daniel. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd been so excited about vacation plans. She tried to analyze why she was so happy about it, but she couldn't figure it out. It's not like she didn't already see Daniel almost every day. Why did the thought of going away with him make her all quivery with excitement? It wasn't like he was her boyfriend, and they were planning a romantic getaway. It would just be two friends having fun together for a week or so. No big deal. But, for some reason, it _felt_ like a big deal.

The ringing of the telephone startled her out of her thoughts. She picked up the handset, which Daniel had placed within reach, and answered the call.

"Daniel, it's for you. It's Doctor Carson." She handed the phone to him.

"Hey, Brad, what's up?" There was a long pause as Daniel listened to the reply. "And you have no idea what's in it?" Another pause. "Well, can't it wait till I get back?" Daniel gave a sigh after hearing the response. "All right, I'll be there as soon as I can." Daniel disconnected the call. "There's a new artifact that was brought in by one of the SG teams. It looks like some kind of container, but no one can figure out how to open it, and they can't read the writing on it. Nobody recognizes the language. Everyone is eager to find out what's in the box in case it's a weapon or something hazardous. The box is made of some kind of material that X-rays won't penetrate, so they want me to see if I can translate the thing and open it up. So much for being left in peace for the week."

Sam smiled. "Face it, Daniel. You are indispensable. Did you know that, during the time you were ascended, the productivity of the archeology and linguistics departments dropped to less than half of what it was when you were there?"

"That's probably because I always did half the work myself."

"Only half?"

Daniel thought about that. "Yeah, you're right. It was more like two-thirds, which I guess explains why I was always working." He got his coat. "I don't know how long this is going to take, but I should be back before it's time to fix dinner. If I'm going to be late, I'll give you a call."

"Okay. See you later."

The rest of the day dragged by for Sam. Without Daniel there to keep her company, the enforced inactivity was driving her crazy. There was only so much work she could do on her computer. She wished that there had been some projects she could have taken home with her, but everything she worked on at the base was classified, not something you could stick in a briefcase and bring home to work on on the kitchen table. She envied Daniel's freedom to bring his work home with him.

As the hours passed, Sam began to realize something else as well. Without Daniel there, the house felt empty, which made absolutely no sense. She'd been living alone her entire adult life. She was used to it. Daniel had been here only two days and two nights. How could she have gotten so accustomed to his presence that she missed him when he was gone? It had to be because she was bored and couldn't do anything around the house to occupy her time. If she was doing something, she wouldn't notice the lack of his presence.

Convinced that was the problem, Sam decided to do a little recreational Internet surfing. After following a variety of links, she found herself in a chatroom where people talked about their relationships with lovers and spouses. Thinking that it might be interesting now that she actually had a boyfriend and wouldn't get depressed, Sam joined in, using the screen name "Gate Gal."

NOSY PARKER: Hi, Gate Gal. I don't remember seeing you here before. New?

GATE GAL: Yes, I just joined. Thought I'd check it out. By the way, that's an interesting screen name you have there.

NOSY PARKER: LOL. All those here who know and love me will tell you that I live up to that name. I stick my nose into everybody's business.

GATE GAL: I shall consider myself forewarned.

NOSY PARKER: So, what's your story?

GATE GAL: Boy, you don't waste any time, do you?

NOSY PARKER: Nope. Come on, give. You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a relationship that you're dying to talk about. So, cough it up.

REDHEAD ANNIE: You might as well give up now, Gate Gal. She won't rest until she has your life story.

GATE GAL: All right, you asked for it. I just got a new boyfriend. We've been dating for a few weeks now, and he's great.

NOSY PARKER: Ooh, tell us all about him, honey. We're dying to know.

Sam told them about Pete. Everyone in the chatroom agreed that he sounded like a great guy. They then told her about their own love lives, being very candid and . . . descriptive. Surprisingly, Sam found that she was having a good time. She had never been that interested in chatting online, but it was fun.

She'd been at for around an hour when a sudden thought came to her, and she decided to ask a question.

GATE GAL: Hey, I've got a question for you. It concerns a friend of mine, my best friend, in fact.

NOSY PARKER: Don't tell me. She's in a relationship with a loser, and you don't know how to make her see it.

GATE GAL: Not even close. First of all, it's a 'he', not a 'she'. Secondly, he's not in a relationship.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Your best friend is a guy? Is he gay?

GATE GAL: No! Definitely not. He's a widower, in fact.

SUE989: Oh, how sad.

MERRY MARY: Yeah, I can feel myself crumbling already. There is something so tragic about widowers. They instantly bring out the mothering instinct in me. I just wanna cuddle them and make them feel better.

NOSY PARKER: Mary, you want to cuddle every man you meet. So, Gate Gal, what's your question?

GATE GAL: Well, first off, I should mention that Daniel – that's my friend – is staying with me right now. I had an accident and injured my leg. I need to stay off it, so he offered to stay with me and help me out. He's been doing all the cooking and household chores, shopping for me, pretty much everything.

MERRY MARY: I want his phone number! Give it to me! Give, give! Any guy who would actually volunteer to do all the cooking, cleaning, and shopping is worth his weight in diamonds.

GATE GAL: LOL. Well, that's Daniel. He's the sweetest, most caring man you can imagine.

NOSY PARKER: Uh oh. Sweet and caring. That probably means that he's nothing to look at. That's usually the way it is.

GATE GAL: Not in this case, not by a longshot.

NOSY PARKER: Oh, really? So, how good-looking is he, on a scale of one to ten, one being mildly attractive, ten being an Adonis.

GATE GAL: Hmm. I may be biased, but I'd have to say an eight, eight and a half when he smiles.

REDHEAD ANNIE: You're joking.

GATE GAL: No, not at all, especially now. He's been working out a lot lately, and, believe me, it shows.

MERRY MARY: Details! I want details!

GATE GAL: Um, okay. He's 38, but looks a good five years younger. He wears glasses, but he's the kind of guy who still manages to look great in them. He's six feet tall, broad shoulders, deep chest, narrow hips. He has short, medium brown hair that lightens to golden brown when he spends lots of time in the sun, and he has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. Oh, and he has the most wonderful smile.

MERRY MARY: *dreamy sigh* What about his ass?

GATE GAL: Excuse me?

NOSY PARKER: Oh, come on. Don't even try to claim that you've never looked at it.

GATE GAL: Uh, yes, okay, I've looked. It's . . . it's very nice.

NOSY PARKER: Uh huh. Nice, she says. So, what's he like as a person? You've said that he's sweet and caring, and you've told us that he gladly volunteered to wait on you hand and foot while you recuperate. What else?

GATE GAL: Well, one of the biggest things, the thing that drew me to him in the first place, is his incredible mind. He is one of the most brilliant men I've ever known. He has this amazing ability to think outside the box, to make these extraordinary leaps of logic, quite often figuring things out that no one else can even see. I'm an astrophysicist, so I'm no dummy, yet there have been lots of times that he's beaten me to the punch when figuring out something. He has three PhD's and can speak somewhere around 30 languages.

SUE989: 30? Man, I have trouble just learning Spanish.

MERRY MARY: Okay, I am falling head over heels in love here. More, please.

GATE GAL: LOL. Well, he's gentle and kind, but he's also incredibly strong and courageous. When he's set on a course of action, he can be very stubborn, never giving up. He cares a lot about people, so much so that he will set aside his own welfare and needs to help someone. He's a crusader. He fights tenaciously for what is right, regardless of the odds against him. He has a high code of ethics and refuses to sacrifice his principles, no matter what. He's very passionate, especially about the things that interest him, like his work. And he's got a dry sense of humor that can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Oh, and he is not the least bit conceited.

MERRY MARY: Okay, this guy can't be real. You're making him up, aren't you.

GATE GAL: No, I'm not. He is very real.

NOSY PARKER: Okay, let me get this straight. Your best friend is this gorgeous hunk who also happens to be a genius, is gentle, kind, compassionate, brave, noble, funny, self-sacrificing, passionate, and not stuck up. He's not gay and is presently unattached. Does that about cover it?

GATE GAL: In a nutshell.

NOSY PARKER: Then I have just one question for you.

GATE GAL: What's that?

NOSY PARKER: Why on Earth haven't you jumped his bones?

Sam sat there in stunned silence, caught by surprise by the blunt question. But then she got to thinking about it and realized that it was a valid question. These women didn't know anything about her relationship with Daniel, their history, what they did for a living, nothing. All they knew was what she had just told them about him, which, she had to admit, made him sound like a man that any woman would have to be nuts not to want.

NOSY PARKER: Or have you?

Sam snapped her attention back to the screen.

GATE GAL: What?

NOSY PARKER: Have you jumped his bones?

GATE GAL: No! We've never had that kind of relationship. We're just really good friends.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Well, that makes no sense at all.

NOSY PARKER: Annie's right. I don't understand it either.

GATE GAL: There's a whole lot that you don't know. Daniel was very much in love with his wife. He was widowed over four years ago, yet it's only been recently that he's finally moved past her death. Both of us have a lot of history with a lot of bad stuff in it. It's just too hard to explain.

NOSY PARKER: Yet you love him.

GATE GAL: Very much. He's one of the most important people in my life. He was gone for a year, and I missed him more than I could have imagined. But I love him as a friend, not as a woman.

NOSY PARKER: Are you sure?

GATE GAL: Of course I'm sure. I'm in a relationship with another man, remember?

NOSY PARKER: Yes, I remember. All right, earlier you said that you had a question. What is it?

Sam decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to ask her question.

GATE GAL: Never mind. I think I'd better not.

MERRY MARY: Aw, come on, Gate Gal. Please don't be like that. We're sorry if we upset you. We promise to behave. Ask your question.

NOSY PARKER: Yes, we'll be nice. Promise.

Sam thought about it some more and decided to go ahead and ask. She really wanted the opinion of other women.

GATE GAL: Well, all right. Here goes. Though Daniel and I have known each other for nearly seven years, we've never gone on a vacation together. Mainly, it's because of our work. We're both workaholics. Anyway, Daniel asked me this morning if I'd like to go on a trip with him. We're thinking about taking a road trip, see the sights in and around the state. I'd really like to do it, but Daniel got worried that my boyfriend would get upset, and he doesn't want to cause trouble between us. So, my question is what do you think? Do you think it's a bad idea for me to go?

NOSY PARKER: Ooh, Girl. That could cause some trouble. I guess my first question is if you think Pete would object.

GATE GAL: To be honest, yes, I'm sure he would.

NOSY PARKER: That's what I figured. My next question is how important is Pete's opinion to you?

GATE GAL: Well, of course it's important to me, but I also have free will and the right to make my own decisions regarding my life.

NOSY PARKER: Of course you do, and I'm happy to hear you say that. So many women I know let their boyfriends and husbands have too much control over their lives. Okay, here's the third question, and it's a big one. Are you in love with Pete?

Sam paused. Was she in love with Pete? She did care a lot about him. He was important to her. But was she in love with him? They'd known each other for such a short time.

GATE GAL: I don't know. We've only known each other for a few weeks. We are terrific together, and we have good chemistry. I care about him a great deal. I just can't say yet if I'm in love with him.

NOSY PARKER: Well, then I guess you have to ask yourself if you're willing to put your relationship with Pete to the test. And this would definitely be a test of your relationship. If you decide to go on that trip with Daniel, it's going to tell you how much Pete trusts you and how well or how badly he reacts to you doing something that he doesn't want you to. To be blunt, if Pete's not willing to accept your decision to go against his wishes and spend time with your best friend, then I'd think twice about your relationship with him. The last thing you want is a guy who is too possessive. Believe me, I know. I once had a boyfriend like that. Pete needs to learn right now that he does not own you, and he also needs to learn to trust you and your judgment. You have a close, long-standing relationship with Daniel, and it's obvious that you trust him completely.

GATE GAL: Yes, I do.

NOSY PARKER: Then I say go for it.

SUE989: Me too.

REDHEAD ANNIE: I agree. Go have fun with Daniel. He's your best friend, and you can't let Pete get in the way of that. Friendships like that are too precious.

MERRY MARY: Absolutely. Can I come with you? Since you apparently don't want Daniel, I'll take him.

GATE GAL: LOL. I'll pass along your interest to him.

Sam looked at her watch and realized that Daniel would probably be back soon.

GATE GAL: I've got to get going. It was great chatting with you.

NOSY PARKER: Same here. Will we see you again?

GATE GAL: I don't know. My work takes me out of town a lot. I'll try to stop in again sometime.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Okay, take care. Hope to see you again.

MERRY MARY: Bye, Gate Gal.

NOSY PARKER: Goodbye.

SUE989: Bye bye.

GATE GAL: Bye.

GATE GAL has left the room.

MERRY MARY: So, what do you think, Janine?

NOSY PARKER: Oh, she's in love with Daniel all right. No doubt about it.

REDHEAD ANNIE: I agree. I can't believe she doesn't see it. The woman has got to be blind.

MERRY MARY: Yeah. If Daniel is half the man she portrays him to be, she's nuts for not getting it on with him.

NOSY PARKER: I think that vacation they're going to take will be quite an interesting one.

MERRY MARY: Yeah. Alone together on the open highway, long nights in the same hotel. Pete is going to be history. No doubt about it.

NOSY PARKER: My thoughts exactly.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Personally, I don't think it'll even take that long. He's staying with her now, remember? Alone together in her house, with easy access to her bed. Need I say more?

NOSY PARKER: Ooh, you're right. Yes, I'd bet money that they'll get it on before her recovery is complete.

MERRY MARY: I'm sure he'll be gentle with her.

NOSY PARKER: LOL

REDHEAD ANNIE: :-D

SUE989: LOL

REDHEAD ANNIE: I hope she comes back and tells us about it.

MERRY MARY: Yes! And with all the juicy details.

NOSY PARKER: You and your details, Mary. I think it's time that you stop living vicariously through the rest of us and go get another boyfriend of your own.

MERRY MARY: Well, if I find someone like Daniel, I'll be sure to do that.

NOSY PARKER: Good luck. Guys like that are one in a million, and, if I wasn't married, I'd fight you tooth and nail if you ever managed to find one of them.

MERRY MARY: Well, a girl can always dream of finding a Daniel of her own.

* * *

Sam's leg had started to ache because of sitting at the computer for so long, so she stretched out on the couch. She began thinking about what the women in the chatroom said about Pete and her plans to vacation with Daniel. Nosy Parker had made some very good points. This _would_ be a test of her relationship with Pete. How he reacted to her decision to go with Daniel would tell her a lot about him. She recalled how badly he reacted when she refused to tell him the truth about her job. He left her lying in the bed they'd just made love in and stormed out of the house. It had really upset her. It had also upset her when she realized that he'd followed her. For a while, she had been so angry that she considered breaking things off with him. It was only his abject apology and his admittance that he'd been stupid that made her decide to give him another chance. She didn't regret giving Pete that second chance, but that incident was really making her wonder how badly he'd react to her going off on vacation with Daniel. But what Nosy Parker said was right. Pete did not own her, and he needed to respect the fact that this was her life and her decision. In the end, what Redhead Annie had said was true. Sam's friendship with Daniel was far too important to let anything or anyone get in the way of it, and that included Pete.

Daniel was a little later getting back than she had anticipated, but he arrived with cartons of Thai food.

"So, did you get the translation done and the box opened?" Sam asked as they ate.

"Yeah, but it ended up being a waste of time. The writing was a children's rhyme, and the container was a kind of puzzle box. You had to press the tiles in a certain sequence to get the box open. There were the remains of what might have been a doll inside. Brad was pretty embarrassed about having dragged me all the way over there for something that turned out to be a toy. He promised that I wouldn't get any more calls unless it was a matter of life and death or an impending Goa'uld attack." Daniel shook his head. "So, what did you do all day?"

"Not a lot. Some work on my computer, then I spent a few hours surfing the Net. I'm afraid that I'm going to be bored out of my mind before this week is over."

"Well, I'll just have to keep you occupied, then."

Sam shook her head. "I don't want you losing time away from work and getting too far behind. You're staying here to help around the house, not to entertain me. You've already lost a lot of time as it is."

"So, I'll just have to work overtime for a few weeks to make up for the time that I lose. I really don't mind, Sam. It's not like I have a wife with dinner on the table to come home to. My off-duty time is mine to do with as I please."

Sam gazed at Daniel. "You really are amazing."

The archeologist's brow creased in confusion. "What?"

"You are so . . . _nice_. How did you get to be such a nice guy?"

Daniel blushed and ducked his head. "I'm not all that nice, Sam."

"Yes, Daniel, you are. You're the most thoughtful and unselfish person I know. You always put other people's needs above your own."

His face flaming at the compliments, Daniel gave a short laugh. "I doubt that Jack would agree with that considering my history of defying his orders and doing things my way."

"That's not the same thing. I'm talking about the fact that, when someone needs help, you always think of them first and yourself second. No matter how many times you get hurt because of that, you still keep doing it. Given the kind of childhood you had, that's surprising. A lot of people in your situation would have grown up selfish, bitter and uncaring."

Daniel pushed the food around his plate. "I guess my reaction was the opposite. I know what it's like to have no one really care about me, and it's not something that I'd want other people to experience," he said very quietly.

Sam reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "Well, you have lots of people who care about you now, Daniel, very, very much."

The archeologist lifted his eyes to hers. "I know, Sam, and it means a lot to me, more than you could imagine."

As he continued looking at her, he wrapped his hand around hers and began gently caressing the top of it with his thumb. The touch sent a very pleasant, yet unsettling sensation through Sam's body. A part of her wanted to pull her hand away, but another part couldn't bear the thought of breaking the contact. In the end, she compromised. She kept hold of his hand for several seconds longer, then gave it a squeeze and withdrew it to resume eating.

Daniel watched Sam for a moment as she ate, then returned his attention to his own meal. She hadn't pulled her hand away when he touched it like that, even though it had not been the kind of touch that they would normally share. It could mean that she had enjoyed it or it could simply mean that she hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings by pulling away.

True to his word, Daniel kept Sam occupied for the rest of the evening. They watched a murder mystery on TV and had lots of fun trying to figure out who the guilty party was, spending each commercial break reviewing the evidence and coming up with theories. Instead of sitting at the opposite end of the couch, Daniel sat beside her, not close enough to touch, but close enough that she was more aware of his presence. Again, she had that weird reaction to it, a part of her enjoying his closeness while another part nervously wanted to put more space between them. Why would Daniel's closeness make her nervous? They'd spent many hours in the past in very close proximity to each other. It made no sense. In time, the feeling faded, and the enjoyment of his nearness heightened. She was sorry to see the evening end.

"Thanks, Daniel. That was fun," she told him as she got up to go to bed. She grinned. "I still can't believe you were right about who the killer was. I thought for sure it was the banker."

Daniel grinned. "Nope, I knew it was the attorney right from the start."

"But how? There was so little evidence pointing to him."

Daniel's grin broadened. "Sam, you know me. How often do I come to conclusions with little or no evidence to back it up?"

Sam laughed and shook her head. "Of course. How could I forget who I was dealing with?"

Sam went to bed thinking that she really liked having Daniel there with her and sorry that he would only be there for a few more days.

* * *

Those of you who are accustomed to things moving along more quickly in my stories may be starting to wonder when the pace is going to pick up. I'll tell you now that, though this story covers a short period of time, it takes 14 chapters to get through it. That having been said, some big developments are coming very soon, which will definitely pick up the pace in some ways.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Let it never be said that, when Daniel promised something, he did not follow through. After breakfast was over, he plopped down beside Sam on the couch and asked her what she'd like to do. Despite her insistence that he didn't need to entertain her, he refused to budge, throwing out helpful suggestions until she answered his question. Finally, smiling at his stubbornness, she agreed to a game of Scrabble.

"How about reverse Scrabble?" he suggested.

"Reverse Scrabble?"

"Yeah, a friend of mine made it up. Instead of having to spell out real words with your tiles, you have to create fake words, but they have to sound like real ones. In other words, you can't just slap down a bunch of consonants and call it a word. Oh, and you have to give the definition of the word, too. It's actually quite fun."

Sam grinned. "That does sound like fun. Okay, let's try it."

Daniel got the game, and they set things up.

"Ladies first," he said.

Thus began the most hilarious game of Scrabble that either of them had ever played. The longer they played, the most outrageous became the words they made up. It didn't take long before they were both laughing so much that their sides ached. In the end, neither one of them cared at all who won, which turned out to be Daniel.

They sat back, still chuckling, wiping the moisture from their eyes.

"That was great," Sam said. "I haven't had that much fun in ages."

"Me neither." Daniel grinned. "I wonder how Jack would do at this game."

Sam started laughing again. "Oh, God. Can you imagine the words he'd come up with?"

Daniel chuckled at the thought. Then he suddenly started laughing outright.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I just pictured the look that would be on Teal'c's face as he watched the three of us play."

Sam almost fell off the couch, she started laughing so hard.

The rest of the morning was spent on some household chores and checking email. Over lunch, the two friends chatted almost nonstop, sharing little personal stories from their past.

"So, she just ran up to me, planted a big fat one right on my lips, then ran off again," Daniel said, recounting his first kiss, which had been given to him by the daughter of one of the men working on a dig with his parents.

"And you were how old?"

"Around six, I think." He grinned. "Mom and Dad couldn't stop laughing when they saw the look on my face. I think it was a cross between shock and horror. I avoided that little girl like the plague for the next week or so until I decided that maybe the kiss hadn't been all that bad after all."

Sam smiled. "That is so sweet. I didn't get my first kiss until I was thirteen, and it was from this pimply kid in school who had a crush on me. It was only memorable because it was my first one."

After lunch, they watched a special on the History Channel. After it was over, Sam went into the bedroom to put more antibacterial ointment on her leg. She was just finishing when the doorbell rang.

"Daniel, can you get that?" she called.

The archeologist answered the door . . . and came face to face with Pete Shanahan. Shock filled the cop's face, quickly followed by a look similar to an expression Daniel had seen on Jack's face many times in the past . . . and it was not a pleasant one.

Quickly getting over his surprise and consternation, Daniel cleared his throat. "Um, you must be Pete."

The cop frowned. "Yes. Who are you?" The frown cleared slightly. "Wait a minute. You're Daniel Jackson."

"Yes." Daniel stepped back and let Pete in. "Sam? You've got company," he called over his shoulder.

Sam came out of the bedroom, then froze. "Pete! What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't get away until Saturday."

"I missed you and decided that I couldn't wait that long." He shot Daniel a look that nobody could mistake for anything but territorial.

Sam limped out into the living room.

'Sam, you're limping! What happened?" Pete asked in concern.

"I was injured off-world a few days ago."

"Um, Sam, I'm going to take off for a while," Daniel said, feeling very uncomfortable and knowing that he really needed to get out of there. "I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay."

Pete watched Daniel leave, then turned back to Sam. "What's going on? Why is he here?"

Sam sighed. This was not going to be fun. She moved over to the couch and sat down. "He's been staying here, helping me out while I recover."

Pete frowned deeply. "Here? You mean in the house with you?"

"Yes. My leg got pretty messed up, and it's painful to walk on. I'm under doctor's orders to stay off my feet as much as possible. Daniel offered to stay with me for a few days. He's been doing the cooking, shopping, household chores, stuff like that. He's been a big help."

"You didn't have a girlfriend you could have called to come stay with you?"

Sam started to get irritated. "No, I didn't."

"Then you should have called me. I'd have taken the time off work and taken care of you."

"Pete, you've been on a big case. You couldn't just drop everything and stay with me for a week. Daniel was nice enough to offer, and I accepted."

Pete shook his head. "I don't like him being here."

Sam's irritation blossomed into anger. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Look, Pete. I have known Daniel for almost seven years. This is not the first time that I've spent a lot of hours alone with him. It's not even the first time I've slept alone under the same roof with him. We're teammates, remember? He also happens to be my best friend, probably the best friend I will ever have. We have been through things together that you can't even imagine, and I trust him with my life. He is a good, honorable, caring human being who would never do anything to hurt me."

Pete stared at her piercingly. "You love him."

"Of _course_ I love him. He is very important to me. Don't you love your friends?"

Pete walked away a few paces. He knew that he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't help it. When the door opened and he saw Daniel standing there, his first reaction was that of a male guarding his territory from a rival. Daniel Jackson in the flesh was even more of a surprise than his picture had been. Guys that smart weren't supposed to look like that. Pete recalled Sam's glowing words of praise for the archeologist. The man was a genius. He had to be if someone as smart as Sam was so impressed by him. Which would be fine if Jackson looked like a dweeb, but he didn't, and that was the problem.

Pete turned back around and sat beside Sam. "I'm sorry for going all caveman on you, Sam. You can't blame me, though, for not liking the idea of another man staying here." He took her hand. "Look. Why don't I call my captain and arrange to take a few days off. Then I can take care of you."

Sam shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because that's just sidestepping the issue. It isn't going to resolve what's going on here. The only thing that getting Daniel out of this house is going to do is make you feel better. It isn't going to change the fact that you don't seem to trust me." She pulled her hand out of his.

"I trust you! It's not you, it's him."

Sam gave a short, humorless laugh and shook her head. "Daniel told me you'd say that. It doesn't surprise me that he was right. He usually is." She gave the cop a hard look. "Listen, Pete. You don't know Daniel like I do. Right from the start, he and I connected. Just in the first couple of months that we were together, I came to see what kind of person he is. I _know_ Daniel, really know him, and I can tell you that I have never met a man of greater integrity. He lost his wife a few years ago. She was taken over by a Goa'uld, and he spent two and a half years trying to save her. In all that time, he never even _looked_ at another woman when he was in full possession of his mental faculties. In the end, he couldn't save her. He was in mourning for her for a very long time after that. I think that a part of him will always mourn her. Except for one brief incident that really didn't go anywhere, I am almost positive that he hasn't had a relationship with a woman since her death." Sam looked at Pete earnestly. "If you could get to know Daniel like I do, you'd see that he is a good, decent, caring person who would never do anything to betray me or my trust in him."

Pete watched Sam closely as she spoke of Daniel. There was a level of passion and intensity on her face and in her voice that showed him something, something he did not like. What she was saying and the way she said it made it obvious that Sam shared a special bond with Daniel, one that he had a feeling he could never have with her. That knowledge made his jealousy grow even stronger, but he was smart enough to know that, if he pushed Sam too far on this, he could lose her. It was clear that she would not let him get in the way of her friendship with Daniel. That thought was a real wake up call for him. Though they were developing what he wanted to believe was a strong and special relationship, he did not possess her heart, not fully. No matter how close they became, there would always be a part of her heart that he would be unable to touch, the part that belonged to Daniel. The question was how big a part was it?

Pete gave a sigh and nodded. "All right, Sam. I still don't like it, but I trust you and your judgment."

Sam smiled in relief. "Thank you. You should stay for a while. When Daniel comes back, you and he can get to know each other a little. I know you'll like him once you talk with him. He really is a great guy."

Pete shook his head. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

Sam frowned. "Why not?"

The cop paused. What could he say, that he was afraid he'd be unable to compete with the great Doctor Jackson, someone Sam clearly loved and admired deeply? "I just think I'd better head back before the captain finds out that I'm playing hooky."

"Oh. Well, okay."

Pete got up, stopping Sam when she made a move to do likewise. "No, don't get up. Just stay there and rest that leg." He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "I'll see you on Saturday."

Sam watched Pete leave, a faint frown knitting her brow. Though the cop had said that he was willing to accept the fact of Daniel staying here, she suspected that he'd only said that to avoid getting into a big fight with her. She also didn't really believe his excuse for leaving so quickly. Why would he have taken the seventy-mile trip if he wasn't planning on staying for a while? In fact, he must have been planning on spending the rest of the day since, if Sam hadn't been on medical leave, she would be working now, and Pete would know that. No, the reason he decided to leave was obviously because of Daniel. He didn't want to stay and get to know the archeologist. But why?

_'Because he's jealous, dummy,'_ Sam's inner voice replied. _'He sees Daniel as a rival for your affections.' _

Sam thought about that and knew that she couldn't blame Pete for thinking that way. In a way, it was true, for, no matter how close she and Pete might become, there would always be a big place inside her heart that only Daniel could fill.

* * *

Daniel was feeling rather nervous when he entered the house, not knowing what would greet him when he got there. He had been both relieved and worried when he saw that Pete was gone, relieved that he wouldn't have to confront an angry, jealous boyfriend and worried that the fact that Pete's departure might mean that he and Sam had a big argument.

Sam was sitting on the couch, apparently deep in thought. In fact, she didn't even seem aware of his presence. Cautiously, he approached her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Sam looked up at him in surprise. "Oh. Hi. I didn't hear you come in."

Daniel sat sideways on the couch and studied her face. "Is everything all right, Sam?"

"Um . . . yeah."

"You don't sound so sure."

Sam sighed. "It wasn't pretty at first. He really did not like the idea of you staying with me. He even offered to take time off work and stay with me himself. He didn't understand when I told him no."

"You told him no?" Daniel said, surprised. He'd have thought that Sam would like the idea of having Pete take over for him.

Sam heard the surprise in her friend's voice. "Yes. First of all, all that would have done was treat the symptoms, not cure the problem. Pete needs to accept my relationship with you. Secondly, I really like having you here, Daniel. It's been great spending this time together, and I don't want that ruined."

Daniel smiled brightly, extremely happy to hear Sam say that. He'd been enjoying their time together immensely and hadn't wanted it to end prematurely. He really didn't want it to end at all, but he knew that, in a few days, they'd have to go back to the way it was before, though he hoped that, from now on, they'd be spending more time in each other's company than what they had been over the past few months.

Sam's mood lightened at the sight of seeing the happy smile on Daniel's face. There wasn't much she wouldn't do to make him happy, and it pleased her greatly to know that she was the one who'd put that smile there.

Daniel's smile was short-lived, though, as his concern for Sam resurfaced. "But are you and Pete okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I explained things to him, tried to make him see that there was nothing for him to worry about. He's still not happy about it, but he accepted the situation. It'll be all right."

Daniel relaxed. "Good. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt, Sam."

She gave him a warm smile. "I know, Daniel, and I know that, if you thought that you needed to leave to make things okay between me and Pete, you would do so in a heartbeat. But I promise that it's not necessary. Pete and I will be fine." She smiled again, though this was a far different type of smile, the one of a woman thinking of her lover. "I'll be sure to pay lots of loving attention to him this weekend."

A surprisingly intense jab of pain struck Daniel's heart, and it took all of his control not to actually wince from it. At her words, he felt the fragile hope he had been nurturing inside him die. He immediately berated himself. _'Come on, Daniel. You knew that she had something good going on with Pete. You knew the chances that she could think of you as more than a friend were pretty remote. Get over it. You still have her friendship, and that's what's most important.'_ Despite his words to himself, Daniel could not stop the ache inside.

Doing his best to hide what he was feeling, Daniel quickly got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Can I get you something?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful. Even to his own ears, the tone sounded false.

Sam frowned at the tone and the sudden change in Daniel's body language. Something was wrong. Before she could ask him about it, he spoke again.

"Um, I was planning on fixing the steaks tonight. I thought I'd marinate them in barbecue sauce, but I need to get some. I should have thought about it earlier when I was out. I'd better do it now." He went into the living room, being careful not to meet Sam's eyes. "Do you need anything from the store?"

"No, not that I can think of." Sam watched him head for the door. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine. I'll be back in a few."

Not giving her a chance to press him further, he quickly escaped.

It took Daniel only a few minutes to get the barbecue sauce, not nearly enough time to get a rein on his emotions. Stopping at a small park, which was nearly deserted, he sat at a picnic table and watched the people and cars go by. He was angry at himself for letting this bother him so much. He'd had all these weeks to get used to the idea that Sam now had a boyfriend, that she was in a romantic relationship with someone, that they were . . . sleeping together.

Daniel closed his eyes tightly, feeling the sting of tears. _'Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Daniel. You have a lot in your life to be happy about. You've got great friends and an exciting, fulfilling job that really means something. And you have Sam as a friend and teammate. You see her almost every day. Just be happy with that, and stop wanting what you can never have.'_

"Daniel?"

Daniel started violently at the sound of his name. He blinked away his tears to see Janet staring down at him in concern.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He quickly wiped his cheeks, mortified that he'd been crying.

"I was on my way over to see Sam, and I saw you sitting here." The doctor took a seat across from him. "Daniel, what's wrong. Is it Sam? Is there a problem?"

Daniel shook his head. "Sam's fine."

"Well, it's obvious that _you're_ not fine. What's the matter?"

Daniel stared at the grass between his feet. "It's nothing. I'll be all right."

Janet stared at him. "Daniel, I've known you for a long time now, and, not counting when you were in withdrawal from the sarcophagus addiction or when you were in so much pain that you couldn't help it, I have never seen you cry, not even when Sha're died. So don't sit there and tell me that you're all right, because I'm not buying it."

Daniel almost smiled at the stern, no nonsense tone of her voice, the same tone she used on recalcitrant patients.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I need to get tough with you?"

Daniel became a tad irritated. "It's private," he snapped, a lot more harshly than he'd intended. Immediately sorry, he turned away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bite your head off."

Janet stared at him, even more worried now. "Oh my. This really is serious, isn't it."

Daniel gave a choked little laugh. "I'll survive. I always do. I'm really good at that. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. That's me. I'm surprised Jack hasn't labeled me with the nickname Timex Jackson yet." There was no bitterness in his voice, no self-pity, only deep sorrow and weariness. He felt Janet cover his hand with hers.

"Daniel, I'm your doctor, but I am also your friend," she said gently. "And, as a friend, it hurts me to see you suffering. I want to help you. Please let me do that."

Daniel did not speak for a long time. At last, he gave a shuddery little sigh. Staring out across the park he murmured, "Have you ever wanted something you knew that you could never have, wanted it so much that, sometimes, it was all you could think about?"

"Yes, a couple of times."

Daniel's gaze returned to the grass. "It hurts, doesn't it."

"Yes, it does." Janet tried to see his face. "What is it that you want so much, Daniel?"

The silence was so long this time that Janet began to think he was not going to reply.

"Sam," he finally whispered, so low that she almost didn't hear him. "I want Sam."

Janet stared at the archeologist, at a loss for words. Oh dear. So it was true. A few months ago, she had begun to suspect that Daniel cared for Sam as more than a friend. That suspicion had grown as she watched him sit for hours at Sam's bedside after the major was rescued from the Goa'uld supersoldier. Now, it was confirmed.

Daniel finally turned to her, his face a picture of torment. "I'm in love with her, Janet. I've been in love with her for years, though I never knew it until after I descended." He turned away yet again. "And she doesn't feel the same. I know that. I know I have to live with that, but it . . . it hurts. It hurts that she. . . ."

"Has a boyfriend," Janet finished.

"Yeah." He straightened and drew in a deep breath, his expression firming. "But I'll be okay. I can live with it. I've lived with a whole lot worse." He gave her a heartbreakingly sad little smile. "What's a little unrequited love in comparison to all the other crap that's happened in my life?" He got to his feet. "I need to get back. Sam's probably wondering what happened to me."

Janet stood as well and laid her hand on his arm. "Daniel, please don't lock this up inside you. That will only cause you more pain. Maybe you should talk to Sam about it."

"No!" Daniel shouted. "Sam can't know about this. She must _never_ find out." He stared at her, his blue eyes like twin lasers boring into her. "You have to swear to me that you will never breathe a word of this, Janet, not to her or anyone else."

"I won't tell anyone, Daniel. I promise."

The archeologist relaxed. "Thank you."

They both headed over to Sam's house, Janet thinking about what she'd learned and wishing that she could do something for her friend, and Daniel wondering how he was going to survive the rest of his stay with Sam without breaking down and telling her the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

When Daniel entered the house, it was to see Sam quickly rise from the couch, wincing slightly at the pain it caused in her leg.

"I was starting to get worried about you," she said. "You've been gone for an hour." Just then, she saw the doctor. "Janet?"

"I'm sorry, Sam," Daniel apologized. "Janet and I bumped into each other. We got to talking, and I lost track of the time."

The physician came up to Sam. "I was on my way over here to check on you," she explained. "How are you doing?"

Sam sat back down. "Not bad, actually. My leg hurts a lot less than it did when I first came home. I don't need the crutches anymore." She glanced at the linguist. "Daniel's been taking very good care of me."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. I didn't doubt for a minute that he would. Shall we go into your bedroom? I'd like to take a look at the wound and see how it's healing."

The two women headed to Sam's bedroom, where the astrophysicist removed her pants. Janet examined her leg, nodding in approval.

"It looks good. We should be able to remove the stitches on Thursday. I would be happier, though, if you would agree to stay at home a few additional days. I know that, as soon as you get back to your lab, you'll be all over the place, not letting your leg rest." She glanced at Sam. "I bet that Daniel wouldn't mind staying over longer."

Sam shook her head. "I don't want to impose on him any more than I already have."

"Haven't you liked having him here?"

"Are you kidding? He's been wonderful. He fixes all my meals, does everything around the house, pretty much waits on me hand and foot. He's supposed to be getting work done, but he doesn't want me to be bored, so he's been keeping me occupied." Sam smiled. "We played the funniest game of Scrabble this morning. To be honest, I'm going to miss him when he leaves. I've loved having him here. The funny thing is, it hasn't taken any getting used to at all, which is strange. I've been living alone for so long that having someone else here all the time should take some getting used to, shouldn't it? I mean, sharing the same bathroom in the morning, not having as much privacy, stuff like that. It should be at least a little bothersome, but it hasn't bothered me at all. I feel . . . comfortable having him here." She then recalled a moment just yesterday when she was definitely _not_ feeling comfortable in his presence.

"What is it?" Janet said, seeing something flit across the major's face.

Sam waved her hand. "Oh, nothing, really," she claimed, but her blush gave her away. Seeing the way Janet was looking at her, she suspected that the doctor would pester her until she confessed her thoughts. "Daniel went jogging yesterday morning. I didn't know that he'd gotten into that. Anyway, he was just coming in when I came out of the bathroom, and I guess he didn't see me. He took off his top right there in the living room, and, well. . . ." Sam's blush heightened. "He's, um, developed some pretty good muscle definition these past few years. I, uh, kind of noticed."

Janet smiled. "You and my entire nursing staff, Sam. Daniel's always been their favorite, but, since he really started hitting the weights, they almost fight each other for the privilege of treating him. And when it comes time for his sponge bath, it just about turns into a civil war. I usually have to specifically assign someone to the duty to avoid problems."

Sam grew a grin. "Do you ever assign yourself to the duty?"

"Occasionally," Janet admitted. "Hey, I'm not immune to his obvious charms either, you know. I am of the female gender."

"Yeah, it should be a crime for a man to be that nice, that smart _and_ that gorgeous. It's not fair. How are any of us poor females supposed to resist?"

Janet studied Sam closely. She wondered if her friend really realized what she was saying. She already knew that Sam loved Daniel deeply as a friend, but the major's words made her begin to wonder if what Sam felt was more than just friendship. If that was so, then it meant that Daniel's feelings for Sam weren't unrequited. It appeared, though, that, if Sam _did_ have more than feelings of friendship for Daniel, she was largely unaware of it.

So, what could Janet do about this? Perhaps the first thing to do was to find out how Sam felt about her boyfriend.

"Soooo . . . I guess you and Pete are getting pretty serious, huh?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I guess. I mean, this is the longest relationship I've had since my engagement to Jonas Hanson. I really like him a lot."

"Do you love him?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I think that I _could_ love him, but our relationship is still new. We're still learning about each other. Did Daniel tell you that Pete came over today?"

_'So, that's why Daniel was so upset.'_ Aloud, Janet replied, "No. How did he react to Daniel being here?"

"Not good. I suppose he was just acting like a normal guy, but it still irritated me. He wanted to take time off from work and take over for Daniel."

"Apparently, you said no."

Sam nodded. "It wouldn't have accomplished anything except make Pete happy because Daniel was no longer here. I had a long talk with him, tried to make him understand that Daniel would never do anything to harm me or betray my trust. He finally gave in, though he still wasn't happy. I dread to think of what his reaction is going to be when I tell him that I'm going to be going on vacation with Daniel."

The revelation caught Janet by surprise. "You and Daniel are going on vacation together?"

"Yeah, on our next leave. Daniel suggested it, and I think it would be a great idea. What with everything that's been going on these past few months, we haven't spent much time together, except when we're on a mission." Sam shook her head. "For that whole year that he was gone I missed him so much. I kept thinking about how much I wanted him back, and, now that we do have him back, I've hardly spent time with him at all. I can't let that go on."

"You and Daniel do have a very special relationship."

Sam smiled tenderly. "Yeah."

"You know, when I first saw you together, I thought that you were a couple."

Shocked, Sam stared at her. "You did?"

"Uh huh. That was before I found out that Daniel was married. You were both chatting away about something, totally oblivious to everyone else. The way you were reacting to each other, I'd have bet money that you were an item."

"Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're not the only one to think that. A lot of people still do."

"Does that bother you?"

"Well, obviously it did when Daniel was still married, but, later on, no, not really, which is strange, I guess. Perhaps it's because I wouldn't be ashamed if the rumors were true. After all, I could do a whole lot worse than have Daniel for a boyfriend. In fact, I really couldn't do any better."

_'Oh, Sam, are you listening to yourself?'_ Janet silently asked her friend.

"And since he's not military, there was never the issue of regulations, and people who thought we were lovers couldn't accuse me of sleeping with him to get promoted," Sam added.

Janet nodded. "That's true. You could even stay on the same team as long as the general and Colonel O'Neill thought there wouldn't be a problem." There was a moment of silence. "So, what are you going to do if Pete makes a big stink about you going off on vacation with Daniel?"

"I'm not sure. I know that Daniel would say we should forget the whole thing since he wouldn't want me to jeopardize my relationship with Pete, but if I did that, it would be the same as if I'd let Pete do what he wanted to today. I know that a relationship is all about give and take, but I shouldn't have to give up important time with my best friend just to appease Pete's jealousy and overprotectiveness, should I?"

"No, you shouldn't, especially since Pete is not your husband or even your fiancé. It is way too early in your relationship for him to have any say in what you do." Janet looked at her friend long and hard. "Sam, do you mind if I give you some woman to woman advice?"

"No, not at all."

"I know that, before Pete, it had been a long time since you'd had a relationship with someone. I also know that you've had a lot of mixed up feelings for more than one man over these years that you've been with the SGC. Now, some handsome, charming, nice guy who really likes you comes along. Just make absolutely sure of what you're feeling, Sam, before you make any kind of commitment. When someone is really in love, they're willing to sacrifice a whole lot to be with that person. How much would you be willing to sacrifice to have a permanent relationship with Pete? The answer could tell you a lot about how you feel. You might even want to compare what you feel for him to your feelings for other men in you life, both past and present." She paused. "Whatever you do, Sam, don't settle for second best. In the end, you'll regret it."

"Second best? What does that mean?"

Janet got up. "Just think about it." She left the bedroom, wondering if she'd said enough. Her goal was to make Sam really analyze her feelings for Pete, to think about how much he meant to her compared to how much Daniel did. Hopefully, in doing that, Sam would eventually figure things out for herself. Daniel and Sam would be good for each other. They'd make each other happy, and there were no two people more deserving of that than they were.

"Well, she's doing very well, Daniel, and you are doing a wonderful job in caring for her," Janet told the archeologist when she came into the living room. "Perhaps if we're ever overwhelmed in the infirmary, I'll draft you as a nurse's aide."

Daniel held up his hands as if to fend her off. "No thank you, Janet. I spend way too much time in that place as it is."

Janet smiled and turned to Sam, who'd just exited the bedroom. "I'll expect to see you on Thursday to get those stitches out. And, like I said, I'd be happier if you'd take the rest of the week off. Frankly, you might as well since I know that you're going to be off this weekend anyway."

Sam nodded. "You're probably right. There really would be no point in me coming in just for a couple of days."

"Good. Daniel? Would you walk me out to my car?"

The archeologist accompanied the doctor to her car. She opened the door, then turned to him.

"Daniel, I promised that I wouldn't say anything to Sam about your feelings, and I won't, but I still think that you should. You shouldn't give up hope. Yes, Sam may be in a relationship now, but that doesn't mean you have no chance. There's no telling what the future may bring." Following through on a sudden impulse, Janet gave him a hug. He returned it after only a moment's hesitation.

"Thanks, Janet. You're a good friend."

She gave his arm a final squeeze, then got in her car.

From the living room window, Sam watched the doctor drive away. Daniel stood at the curb, hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders hunched forward and head bowed, a posture that spoke of a man who was deep in thought.

Sam went to the couch, wondering about the hug she had just witnessed. Could there be something going on between them? No, that couldn't be, could it? And, if there was, why should the thought bother her? Daniel and Janet were her friends. She should be happy at the idea that they might be together.

The opening of the door broke Sam's train of thought. She studied Daniel's face, but learned nothing from it.

"So, I bet you'll be happy to get those stitches out," he commented lightly as he entered the living room.

"Yes, I will. This thing is itching like crazy."

Daniel smiled very faintly. "Yep, I know what that's like. You're going to come back home after the stitches are out?"

Sam nodded. "Janet's right. I might as well stay home for the rest of the week."

"Do you want me to drive you home or will you take your car?"

"I'll take my car. I think I'll be okay to drive."

Daniel shoved his hands back into his pockets, and his head was once again turned downward. "So, I guess my job here will be over on Thursday."

Sam gazed at him. "It, um . . . doesn't have to be."

Daniel looked at her. "You mean stay the rest of the week with you?"

"Sure. Pete won't be arriving until Saturday morning. You could stay till Friday night. I could still use the help. That is if you want to."

Daniel thought about it. Did he want to stay? If she'd asked him that this morning, he wouldn't have hesitated to say yes. But now. . . . Yes, he still wanted to stay. Though a part of him was being torn apart by being with Sam and knowing it could never be like he wanted it to be, another part was craving her company, no matter what form that companionship took.

"Yes, I'd like to stay," he told her.

Sam gave him a smile. "Great. Then it's settled."

The rest of the day was a lot more subdued than the morning had been. Daniel got in some work as Sam read . . . or at least _tried_ to read. She actually spent more time thinking about what had happened that day, including what Janet said.

Sam was surprised to realize that she had not really analyzed her feelings for Pete, not as closely as she should have. Perhaps it was time that she did. She knew that she cared a lot about him, and she believed that they could have something really good together. But how much would she sacrifice in order to be with him? Being brutally honest with herself, she knew that there were things that she would not be willing to give up, such as her career in the Air Force and her place in the SGC. Those things were too important to her. She would not have been willing to give them up to pursue a relationship with Jack, and she would not be willing to do so to stay with Pete. Maybe she would someday, if they ever reached the point where they were talking about marriage. That was something she wouldn't know until the time came, if it ever did.

There were other things, though, that she knew she would _never_ give up for Pete, no matter how far their relationship developed. Sam found her gaze going to Daniel, who was absorbed in a translation. Though Sam didn't like to think about it, if Pete could not accept the relationship she had with Daniel, she knew that she could not sacrifice what she had with her best friend for her boyfriend's sake.

Sam's thoughts turned to something else. How would she react if she lost Pete, if something happened to him? She knew that it would really hurt, just like it hurt when she lost Narim and Martouf, far more than that since she never developed a real relationship with either of those men. But she believed that, in time, she would heal, move on from his death.

Again, Sam looked over at Daniel, thinking about how it felt when she lost him. It was a pain more agonizing than anything she'd felt since her mother died. During the year that he was gone, that pain gradually lessened, enough that she could get through the day without wishing every second that he was there. But the deep ache to see him again never went away, and not a day passed that she didn't miss him. She lost count of the times that she longed for him to come back.

Would she ever have gotten past that, reached the point where he no longer entered her mind? Perhaps, eventually, thoughts of him would have dwindled to the point where she could have gotten through several days – maybe even weeks – without thinking of him, but she knew that she would have missed him for the rest of her life. A part of her would never have healed from his loss, just like a part of her still ached over the loss of her mother, even after all these years.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

Daniel's anxious voice snapped Sam out of her thoughts. She was horrified to realize that she'd been crying. She hastily wiped the tears away and sniffed.

"Nothing. I was just being silly."

Daniel settled on the couch beside her. "Sam, you were crying. There's nothing silly about that."

"I was just . . . remembering things, sad things."

"What?" Daniel asked gently.

Sam looked in his eyes. "I was remembering when you were gone, how much I missed you. I was thinking about how I'd have felt if you never came back."

His eyes full of emotion, Daniel pulled her into a gentle hug. She wrapped her arms around him, letting herself relax in his embrace. And it felt so _good_. She didn't want the hug to end.

Daniel's hand was slowly rubbing up and down Sam's back. "We've never really talked about this, have we," he murmured.

"No, I guess we haven't. We just sort of avoided the subject." Sam drew away until only one of Daniel's arms was around her, draped snugly over her shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" he asked.

Sam thought about it and decided that it was time that she did. She took a deep breath. "It hurt, Daniel. It hurt a lot losing you. I told you that it was one of the hardest things I'd ever gone through, and that was true. You're my best friend, and you were gone. I missed you every day, every single day. On almost every mission we went on, I thought about how you would have handled the situations we encountered, how differently things might have gone if you'd been with us. You have a way of looking at things, a way of doing things like no one else. You are so unique in so many ways. I missed your . . . your heart and your spirit. I know that the colonel and Teal'c did, too. Without you, it's like SG-1 and the SGC were missing a huge part of their soul. And I missed you in so many other ways, too. I missed having you show up in my lab in the wee small hours of the morning with a cup of coffee and the willingness to listen to me ramble on about what I was doing. I missed going to your office and seeing the look of rapt fascination on your face as you studied some artifact. I missed your passionate pleas for a little more time at some archeological find, your impassioned arguments over the rightness of some course of action. I missed everything about you and everything that having you as a friend gave me." Sam was battling tears again. "I wanted you back, Daniel. I wanted my best friend back."

Daniel pulled her back into his arms. He hid his own tears from her, but he could not hide the sound of them in his voice. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I never meant to hurt you." He tightened his arms. "I missed you, too."

"I thought you didn't remember anything about that time, except for what you saw happen on Erebus."

"I don't, really, but I've begun to recall memories of feelings, sensations I experienced during that time, and I know that I missed you, Jack and Teal'c a lot. I have a feeling that I hung around you guys for a while, checked up on you. I have this fleeting memory of seeing all of you going off to dinner and wishing that I could join you."

Sam pulled back and stared at him, stunned. "That was you?"

"What was me?"

"After our first mission without you, we went out to eat. As we headed to the elevator, there was a brief gust of wind in the hallway. We thought it was a malfunction in the ventilation system."

"I don't know. I guess it could have been me."

Sam smiled. "That makes me feel better, knowing that you were with us sometimes. But then, I guess you must have been since you somehow knew when both the colonel and Teal'c needed you." She gave a sigh. "I just wish. . . ."

"What?"

"I wish that you'd come to me, too."

Daniel dropped his arms from around her and took her hand. He stared down at their entwined fingers. "I don't know why I didn't, Sam. I read about what Nirrti did to you, her experiments. Maybe I couldn't come to you. Maybe something prevented me from doing so."

"Or maybe it was because I wasn't alone."

Daniel looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"After Nirrti put me in that machine, I was taken back to where the others were. They were with me. I wasn't alone like the colonel was when he was a prisoner of Ba'al."

"Teal'c told me that I visited him in his dreams after the Jaffa massacre, when he was trying to keep himself and Bra'tac alive with just the one symbiote."

Sam nodded. "There was no one there to help him. He was alone, except for Bra'tac, who was unconscious most of the time." Sam took his other hand. "Daniel, I really believe that, if it had just been me there in that place, if the rest of SG-1 hadn't been there as well, you would have come to me. You wouldn't have let me die alone."

"Sam, if I could have stopped what happened—"

"I know, Daniel," she said, not letting him finish. "I know that, even if you were there and saw what was happening, your hands would have been tied. You couldn't have interfered. The others would most likely have stopped you, just like you were prevented from stopping Anubis. I was never angry at you for not having helped me then. What I really wished was that you had just come to see me sometime, simply to say hi."

Daniel's gaze dropped from hers yet again. "I don't think I could have, Sam."

"You think that Oma would have kept you from doing that?"

"No, I don't think she would have stopped me. Why should she?"

"Then what do you mean?"

Daniel's eyes lifted to meet hers. "It would have been too . . . hard. If I had gone to visit you, talk with you, it would have hurt too much, because I'd have known that I would have to say goodbye again." His gaze returned to his lap. He was, therefore, taken by surprise when Sam gathered him into her arms. But it was a wonderful surprise. He held her close, letting her soothe away some of the pain inside, wishing that he could hold her forever. But, as he knew it must, the hug eventually ended.

"I guess I never really thought about the fact that you must have been missing us, too," Sam murmured. "It must have been very lonely for you."

"Yeah, it was. That's one of the emotions I remember. I think there were times in the beginning when I thought about going back to being human. But I get the impression that it got better in time. I wish I could remember everything."

"Well, you're back with us now, and that's what matters most."

As planned, Daniel fixed the steaks for dinner, marinating them in the barbecue sauce. Sam insisted on helping with the dinner preparation, and the two of them worked side by side in the kitchen. Daniel couldn't help but think about how domestic it felt, like they were a married couple going about the usual daily task of preparing a family meal. He could picture a couple of kids in the living room watching TV, a baby in a playpen over in the corner of the dining room. A dog snoozing on the couch was then added to the mental image.

Sam was busy making a white sauce for the vegetables when she glanced at Daniel and saw a smile unlike any she'd ever before seen on his face. It was a gentle smile of happiness and contentment. He had paused in what he was doing and appeared to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Startled out of his daydream, Daniel looked at her, then quickly away.

"Oh, I was just daydreaming." Suspecting that Sam might press him for more information, he then said something that suddenly popped into his head upon seeing a bit of flour on the counter. "Did I ever tell you about the yaphetta flour incident?"

"Yaphetta flour?"

"Yeah. It's a flour made from an Abydonian grain. Though husbands aren't supposed to do any kind of cooking, that didn't prevent Sha're from having me grind the flour. Of course I'd never ground my own flour before, so I was totally inept at it. And things got even worse when I inhaled some of it and started sneezing my brains out. The flour went all over the place, including on me. So, there I am, covered in this white powder, unable to see a thing because my glasses are coated in the stuff as well, and I start hearing hysterical laughter. I take my glasses off, and there's Sha're, laughing so hard that she looks like she's just about to start rolling around on the floor."

Sam began to laugh, her mind conjuring up the image of the incident.

"You must have been so embarrassed."

"Yeah, but, to be honest, I preferred the laughter to the attitude of the other Abydonians."

Sam frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"They considered Jack, Ferretti, Kawalsky and me to be their saviors, and since I was the only one left on Abydos, I was the sole focus of the, um . . . gratitude. They just about treated my like a god. Talk about embarrassing!"

Sam smiled, thinking that a lot of guys in that position would eat it up. They'd love the attention and accolades. It surprised her not one little bit that Daniel found it embarrassing instead.

"Thankfully, that attitude faded in time," he said, "though I was always treated with a lot more deference by many of them than I deserved to be. Not by Kasuf, though. I was his son-in-law, after all, and he was the Abydonians' leader."

Sam nodded slightly. She paused before asking the next question. "Do you ever think about what you'd be doing now if Apophis never went to Abydos?"

"Sure. Despite the fact that Jack was under orders to bring me back to Earth, he wouldn't have succeeded. I'd have refused to go, and if he had tried to force the issue . . . well, let's just say that, though the Abydonians liked him, too, they wouldn't have allowed him to take me against my will."

Sam stared at him. "You think they might have resorted to violence?"

"Well, maybe not violence, but things could have gotten pretty tense. I doubt that Jack would have pushed it."

"But what if, after the colonel got back to Earth, General Hammond sent someone else through who wouldn't take no for an answer?"

Daniel shook his head. "That wouldn't have happened. The second that Jack and the others were gone, I'd have had the gate buried again. Then I would have spent the rest of my life on Abydos, just being a husband, teacher . . . and frustrated archeologist."

"Frustrated archeologist?"

"Yeah. Making amazing archeological discoveries doesn't really mean much if you can't share them with others. When I found that cartouche room, you have no idea how much I ached to tell the archeological community on Earth. It drove me nuts that no other archeologist would ever see it or even know of its existence."

"I never really thought about that, how much you must have wanted to share all those discoveries with your peers." She studied him closely. "Do you still want that? We have made so many incredible archeological discoveries on other planets."

"Of course I'd love to tell others what we've found, but I understand now that Earth isn't ready for the knowledge of the Goa'uld and all the other extraterrestrial threats that are out there. That has to take precedence over my selfish desire to tell everyone what I've discovered out there in the galaxy."

Sam snorted. "Selfish? Daniel, there is not a selfish bone in your body."

Daniel's cheeks colored slightly at the compliment. "I wouldn't say that."

"Well, I would. You are about the most _un_selfish person I have ever met. You _always_ put the needs of others above your own. I doubt that there is any personal desire you have that you wouldn't sacrifice if it would be best for someone else."

Daniel shook his head. "No, that's not true," he declared before realizing that he shouldn't have admitted that. The thought had come to his mind that if giving up his place in the SGC would enable him to have a relationship with Sam, he'd do so without hesitation, even if his loss from the program would be a detriment to it.

Sam's gaze grew penetrating. "Okay, then give me an example."

Daniel was suddenly feeling trapped. He couldn't tell her the truth, but he wasn't going to make something up.

Not looking at her, he replied, "There are just . . . private things that I want a great deal, and if I had to make choices to get them that might not be in the best interest of some other people, I'd probably do it anyway. I'm not a saint, Sam."

"I know you're not, Daniel."

The archeologist turned his gaze to the cooking meat. "These steaks are going to be done soon," he announced, glad that he had a valid reason to change the subject. "Is the white sauce ready?"

Sam stared down at the bowl before her. "Um, just about." She quickly finished what she was doing, though her mind was still on what Daniel had said. What were the private things he was talking about? She was dying of curiosity, but she wasn't going to pry. If Daniel wanted her to know, he'd have told her.

The dinner conversation was mostly small talk, thanks to Daniel's efforts to keep it that way. He was almost relieved when the time came for bed.

As he lay on the couch, staring into the darkness, he thought about what he would do and not do to have a life with Sam. After a few minutes, he stopped himself, figuring that it was pointless to think about such things. She would always be just a friend. And he really was very lucky to have Sam as a friend. Today had illustrated that yet again. He really did need to put all thoughts of having more with her out of his head and just be satisfied with what he had.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The next morning, Daniel decided that he'd better get some more groceries so that they'd have stuff to fix for the rest of the week. It was a sunny day, unusually warm for the time of year, so Sam chose to go with him, figuring that she could just wait in the car while he was in the store, then they could go somewhere for lunch. She was starting to get a little stir crazy being cooped up in the house all the time.

Daniel had just finished loading the trunk with his purchases when Sam heard him shout a warning. The next second, he shot past her at a dead run. And then she saw why. A little girl around five years old was standing in the center of the next aisle over, and a car was coming quickly down the aisle, showing no sign of stopping. Unable to do anything but watch in horror, Sam sat frozen as Daniel grabbed the little girl and tried to dive out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. There was the sickening sound of impact, then a loud crash.

"Daniel!" Sam screamed. She scrambled out of the car, heedless of the pain in her leg, and ran as fast as she could around the vehicles blocking her view. The car had crashed into a parked truck. With a small portion of her mind, Sam noticed that the driver was slumped over the wheel and appeared to be unconscious. There was no sign of Daniel or the child.

Terrified that she'd see her best friend's crushed body on the other side, Sam ran around the car, oblivious to the other people rushing over and the cries of alarm from witnesses. Then she saw him. He was lying on the ground between the car and one of the parked vehicles, his body curled protectively around the little girl. Neither one of them was moving. As Sam approached them, her heart in her throat, the child whimpered and then began crying. A moment after that, Daniel stirred. Sam went to her knees beside them.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired shakily. The archeologist groaned and started to sit up. "No! Don't move. Something could be broken. Just stay there."

"No, I'm okay, Sam. Just a little bruised." Daniel sat up fully, wincing slightly. He looked down at the little girl, who was clinging to him like a limpet, wailing at the top of her voice. He stroked her hair soothingly. "Shh. It's okay, sweetheart," he crooned. "You're safe now."

Just then, another voice rose above everything else.

"Lisa!" screamed a female voice. "Lisa!" A woman fought through the crowd. When she saw the child in Daniel's arms, she let out a shriek and fell to her knees beside them. She tried to grab the little girl, but Sam stopped her.

"No, don't!" she warned. "She might be injured."

"Lisa? Lisa, baby, are you okay?"

The child finally noticed her mom. "Mommy!" She pulled out of Daniel's grasp and flung herself into her mother's arms. The sobbing woman rocked her daughter, holding onto her tightly.

Daniel shifted his position so that he could sit up against one of the cars. Sam noticed that he was favoring his left arm and seemed to be having problems with his leg.

"Daniel, are you sure you're all right?" Sam asked, still terribly worried that he might be seriously injured.

"Yeah. The car didn't hit me, Sam. I just got a little banged up when I threw myself up onto the trunk of this car," he pointed at the one he was sitting against, "to avoid getting clobbered." He looked at the car that had nearly hit him. "How's the driver? I think he must have had a heart attack or something. I saw that he was slumped over the wheel as he was coming down the aisle. That's how I knew something was wrong."

"It looked like he was unconscious."

At that moment, they heard the sound of approaching sirens. A few moments later, emergency vehicles came hurrying down the aisle. The crowd moved back to let them through. EMTs and firefighters were soon swarming all over the place. One EMT knelt beside the little girl and her mother as another one went to Daniel.

"How are you doing, sir?" the man asked.

"I'm all right, just a bit bruised."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to check you out anyway."

Daniel gave him a nod.

As the man checked the archeologist's pupils and vitals, he asked what happened. Daniel gave his account of the events.

"Okay, so where does it hurt?" the EMT asked.

"My left shoulder and hip," Daniel replied.

The EMT palpated the areas and asked a few more questions. "Okay, I don't think there are any fractures or dislocations, but you should go to the hospital just to be sure."

"How's the little girl? Is she okay?" Daniel asked.

The EMT turned to his partner, and they conversed in low voices. The man treating Daniel then turned back to him with a smile.

"She's just fine, thanks to you, just a little shaken up. You probably saved her life."

"And the driver?"

"I don't know. I'll go check and see what the other team has to say."

The EMT left to ask about the driver. He returned a few minutes later. This time, he was not smiling.

"Their guess is that the driver suffered a stroke. They're preparing him for transport now. It's impossible to guess the prognosis at this time." He studied Daniel closely. "Are you going to be able to stand all right with that hip?"

"Yeah, I've had a lot worse."

Daniel got to his feet with the man's help, then helped Sam up, whose leg was beginning to throb. The EMT noticed that she was in pain.

"Are you all right, ma'am?"

"Yes. It's an injury I received a few days ago," she replied. "I've already been treated."

A police officer came up and got Daniel's statement. Once that was done, Daniel went looking for and found his glasses, which had fallen off when he threw himself onto the trunk of the car. The glasses had managed to escape without a scratch, so he put them on. Then he and Sam headed for his car. They were stopped by someone calling out. They turned to see the mother of the girl he had saved running up to them. She came to a stop before them and grabbed Daniel's hands.

"How can I ever thank you for what you did? You saved my baby's life."

"You don't need to thank me," he told her. "I'm just glad that I was there to help."

The woman gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. "God bless you," she whispered. Then she returned to her daughter.

Sam gave Daniel a smile full of pride. "Come on, hero. We need to get you to Janet so she can look you over."

"I'm fine, Sam," he insisted.

"Uh huh. Even if that is true, do you really want to explain that to Janet when you come limping onto base Monday morning and she asks you why you didn't come in for an exam?"

Daniel thought about that. "Good point."

Sam watched him closely as he limped to the car. Noticing her regard, he smiled ruefully.

"I guess we're a matched pair now." He pointed at her left leg, which she was also favoring.

"Yes, I guess we are. So, does this mean that we'll be taking care of each other for the next few days?"

Daniel smiled. "Actually, once Jack finds out what happened, we'll be lucky if he doesn't try to make us both go to his house for the rest of the week to keep us out of trouble."

Fortunately, since it was Daniel's left hip that was injured, it didn't cause a problem with him driving, though he did drive one-handed most of the way because of the throbbing in his shoulder.

"Okay, what did you do to yourself this time," were the first words out of Janet's mouth when she saw the archeologist limp into the infirmary.

"Saved a child from getting hit by a car," Sam answered before Daniel could say anything.

The doctor looked at Daniel sharply, then ordered him to get up on one of the exam tables. She then got the whole story from him. Sam went and sat in a chair across the infirmary as the linguist was examined. He was then taken to X-ray. While he was gone, Jack showed up.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked. "I heard that Daniel got hurt."

Amazed at the speed of the base grapevine, Sam told her C.O. what happened.

Jack shook his head. "I swear that guy wears a magnet around his neck that attracts trouble."

"Well, if he hadn't been there, sir, that little girl would probably be dead. This time, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. He did good, Colonel."

Jack nodded. "Yes, he did."

Daniel was returned a few minutes later. A short while after that, Janet came over.

"Well, he got off pretty lightly this time," the doctor explained. "His hip is only mildly bruised. It'll be sore for a couple of days, but he shouldn't have any real trouble with it. The bruise on his shoulder is deeper and more painful. It's going to be sore for a good week, but it isn't bad enough to require any special attention, except for him taking it a little easy on that arm. He is very lucky that he didn't get hit by that car. He could have been seriously injured."

"I don't think luck had anything to do with it, Janet," Sam told her. "It was Daniel's fast reaction to the situation and his quick thinking."

Jack smiled rather smugly. "Well, what do you expect? He had a great teacher."

The colonel insisted on taking his teammates out to lunch. Daniel hit the showers first to clean the grime of the parking lot asphalt off and change into clean clothes.

As they ate, Jack caught them up on news at the SGC, being careful, of course, to use the 'code speak' that they had created for situations when they were talking about such things in public where they might be overheard. He then asked if Daniel and Sam had done anything interesting. They were careful not to say anything about Pete's visit, neither one of them wanting to get into that conversation with the colonel.

After they'd finished eating, Jack just about ordered Daniel and Sam to come over to his house, just as the archeologist had predicted. They agreed, but made it clear that they would not be spending the night.

The afternoon was spent watching a hockey game, the colonel making a point of reminding his two youngest teammates that it was _his_ house and _his_ TV this time. Afterwards, he and Teal'c left to get dinner for everyone.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked Daniel. She had noticed him shifting uncomfortably a few times during the game and that he was still favoring his left arm.

"Okay. Just a little sore."

"Did Janet give you anything for the pain?"

"Just some Tylenol."

"Well, that must have worn off by now. I'm sure the colonel has some." She started to get up to go fetch it.

"I can get it, Sam."

"Daniel, you've been taking care of me for the past five days. The least I can do is go get you some Tylenol. Right now, you probably hurt more than I do."

She went and got the pills and a glass of water for the archeologist. Sam watched him down the medication, thinking about how much worse it could have been.

"This was a real close one, Daniel," she murmured. "If you'd been just a second or two slower, you probably wouldn't have made it out of the way of that car. For a minute, I—" She broke off abruptly.

Daniel gazed at her intently. "Sam?"

The major gave a sigh that was a little unsteady. "For a minute, I thought you were dead. I was afraid that I'd see your body—" Her voice halted again.

Daniel took her hand and squeezed it. "But I'm not, Sam. I'm fine. I may have used up another one of those nine lives of mine, but I'm fine."

Sam forced a smile to her lips. "Daniel, you must have way more than only nine lives. You used up that many a long time ago."

Daniel smiled. "Yeah, you're right. This was probably life number sixteen or seventeen."

"Or eighteen or nineteen."

They both laughed. Sam was the first to turn serious.

"Just don't ever run out of them, okay?" she said, her voice very quiet. "Not until you're at least ninety."

Daniel pulled her into a brief hug. "I'll do my best, Sam. But you have to do the same."

"Deal."

Jack and Teal'c returned half an hour later with dinner. They were all in the midst of eating when Daniel suddenly remembered about the groceries sitting in the trunk of his car, which was presently in the parking lot of the SGC.

"I completely forgot about them," he berated himself.

"Well, heck, Daniel. I can't figure out why. I mean, you only nearly got run over by a car while saving a little girl's life," Jack said sarcastically.

"I forgot all about them, too," Sam admitted.

"Well, most of the stuff will be okay, but the meat will be ruined," Daniel said. "I'll have to go shopping again in the morning."

"Ah! You're doing no such thing," Jack told him emphatically. "After I take you two back to Carter's place tonight, I'll take Teal'c back to the base and get the groceries out of your car. Whatever's salvageable I'll bring over in the morning. I'll go shopping and replace anything that went bad."

"What about my car?" Daniel asked.

"We can go get it in the morning when I bring the food over."

That having been settled, they finished dinner. It turned out that Jack had bought a pecan pie, which they all enjoyed afterwards.

"So, when are you two coming back to base?" Jack asked after taking a bite of his piece.

"Monday," the two scientists answered in unison.

Jack looked at Daniel. "You're going to be staying with Carter until then?"

"No, I'll be going home Friday night."

"Pete's coming over on Saturday," Sam explained, then immediately wanted to bite her own tongue out.

"Ah," Jack said, a wealth of meaning in that single word. "Soooo, I'm guessing he doesn't know that Daniel has been staying with you."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other.

"Um, well, he . . . kind of found out, sir," Sam admitted reluctantly.

Jack's arms crossed over his chest, his attention now focused with disconcerting intensity on the two youngest members of his team. "Oh, _really_. That must have been . . . interesting."

"You could say that," Sam muttered.

"All right, so out with it, Major."

"I'd really rather not, sir."

Jack's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He didn't do anything to hurt you, did he?"

"No! No, of course not!" Sam hastily told him. "He just got angry, that's all. After I talked to him for a while and explained everything, he calmed down. Everything's all right now."

"You sure?"

"Yes, sir, I'm positive."

Jack turned to Daniel. "Daniel?"

"I wasn't there, Jack. After Pete showed up, I thought it would be a good idea if I made myself scarce."

Jack's expression turned angry. "You left Carter alone with that guy?"

Before Daniel could reply, Sam jumped in. "Don't, Colonel," she said firmly, a hard, razor-sharp tone in her voice that shocked Jack. She'd never spoken like that to him before. "Daniel did the right thing in leaving. His presence would have made things worse. He had no reason to believe that I was in danger from Pete, which I wasn't."

Jack stared at her, surprised by the intensity of her defense of the archeologist. Something was going on here. He looked back and forth between Sam and Daniel, trying to spot something. Daniel's eyes were cast downward, his face wearing a neutral expression, the one that Jack always had a hard time seeing past.

"Is there something else you two should be telling me?" he asked.

Sam shook her head. "No, sir. Nothing else happened."

"Daniel?"

The archeologist finally lifted his head and met Jack's gaze. For a brief instant, the older man saw something undefinable flicker in Daniel's eyes. Then it was gone. "Everything's fine, Jack. No other problems."

Jack stared at him for several seconds. Daniel met his stare, not backing down. "Okay. But if there's a problem, I want to know about it, especially if it's something that could affect the team."

The scientists both nodded.

They all finished their dessert, then Jack drove Daniel and Sam back to Sam's place. The colonel told Teal'c to accompany her into the house. Daniel didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Jack wanted to talk with him alone.

Jack waited until the other two team members were inside, then he turned to the younger man. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, Jack."

"Don't give me that. Carter just about jumped down my throat when I got ticked off that you left her alone with that Pete guy. I know she usually takes your side when we have an argument, but she's never reacted that way before."

"Well, I guess you need to ask _her_ about that, Jack. Maybe it was because she knew that you were getting angry for no good reason again and wanted to stop things before they got started."

Jack studied his friend. The archeologist had adopted a defensive posture and was as tight as a bowstring. There was no doubt that something was going on with him. Jack just couldn't figure out what it was. One thing was for sure, though. The stony expression on Daniel's face made it clear that the man was not going to tell him what was up, no matter how much Jack bullied him. The colonel knew when a strategic retreat was in order.

"All right, Daniel. I won't push it, but if this is something that's going to cause a problem with the team, I expect you and Carter to work it out."

"There's nothing for us to work out, Jack. Nothing has changed from how it was before."

The two men went into the house. Sam's eyes immediately went to Daniel's face, then Jack's, trying to read their expressions.

_'It's just my luck that I'm teamed with two . . . make that **three** men who could all win awards in the poker face category,'_ she grumbled to herself.

"Well, we'll let you kids get some shuteye," Jack said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning around ten. Come on, T. Let's boogie."

"What is 'boogie', O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as they headed out the door. Jack's reply was cut off by the closing of the door behind them.

Sam looked more closely at Daniel. "Daniel, is everything okay? The colonel didn't yell at you for leaving me alone with Pete, did he?"

"No. Everything's fine. He just wanted to make sure things were going okay. Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom."

Sam watched Daniel limp to the bathroom and shut the door. She had a feeling that something was still wrong, that something was still bothering him.

Sighing, Sam headed for her bedroom, wishing that he would confide in her. She recalled all the times that Daniel acted as her confidant. It was he who offered her advice and support throughout the incident with Cassie when they discovered that the orphaned girl was being used as a Goa'uld booby trap. He was the one Sam turned to when she learned that her father had cancer and again when Jolinar's memories were being uncovered during the mission to rescue Jacob from Netu. After Sam's kidnapping by Adrian Conrad, it was Daniel who sat with her as she confessed to him about the fear she'd felt. So many times he had been her listening ear, her shoulder to cry on, yet he so seldom opened up about his own pain and fear. Instead, he kept it all locked up inside. Sam wished that she knew a way to get him to let it out, to let her be as much of a confidant for him as he was for her. She couldn't help but think that if he told her what was bothering him, she might be able to help him find a resolution.

* * *

Yes, I know. You're all going crazy waiting for the big revelation. I promise that you don't have too much longer to wait. You just have to be patient for a bit longer. Because it took me so much longer than usual to get this chapter posted, I will try to get the next three posted this week.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

The next morning, Daniel was still pretty sore, though his hip didn't feel quite as bad. He was only limping slightly. His arm, however, was still quite painful, and Sam insisted on looking at it. Feeling rather self-conscious, Daniel unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his left arm out.

"Ouch," Sam immediately said in sympathy, seeing the large, colorful bruise adorning the skin. "That looks really painful."

"It's not so bad," Daniel told her.

"I've got some ointment that might make it feel better."

"Sure. I can try it."

Sam went and got it. Daniel held his hand out for the tube, intending to put it on himself.

"Let me do it. It'll be easier," she said.

Very carefully, Sam smoothed the cream onto Daniel's shoulder, massaging gently. Daniel watched her. Despite the pain, he was enjoying the touch . . . way too much, in fact. He was beginning to wish that he'd put the ointment on himself.

As Sam rubbed the cream in, she could not help but notice how firm and well-developed the muscles of Daniel's shoulder were. Seeing him now, it was hard to believe that he was the same man who used to voice objections every time Jack dragged him off to the gym for training. Not that Daniel was ever a wimp. He just hadn't liked the idea of learning how to fight in hand-to-hand combat.

The Daniel of today was very different from that man who had not wanted to learn how to fight. Between what Jack had taught him and what he'd learned from Teal'c, the archeologist had gained a decent amount of hand-to-hand combat skills and could hold his own in a fight, though he was still not near the level that Jack or Teal'c were, nor even Sam. The astrophysicist secretly enjoyed watching him work out with his two male teammates, though she'd never admit that to anyone.

Sam had just finished applying the ointment when the phone rang. She grabbed the receiver and answered the call. It was the SGC again, but, this time, it was for her. A new technological gadget had been discovered by SG-9 and brought back through the gate. Photos had been taken and several tests run, and the young lieutenant who called wanted to know if Sam could take a look at the data since he was supposed to give a report on his findings but really didn't understand what the data was telling him. Sam jumped at the chance to have some work to do and told him to email everything over.

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who's indispensable," Daniel said in amusement after Sam hung up. "I pity that poor guy, though, if Janet finds out he disturbed you while you were on medical leave."

As soon as the data came through, Sam got busy on it. Since she was working, Daniel decided to do likewise and got busy on another translation.

As promised, Jack arrived at around ten with their groceries, including the ones he bought to replace the things that hadn't survived the hours in Daniel's trunk. He and Daniel then took off to go get the younger man's car.

"So, how are you feeling today?" the colonel asked as they headed to the mountain.

"All right. My hip's not bad, only a little sore. The shoulder's still pretty tender."

"I watched the story on the eleven o'clock news. I guess you must have gotten out of there just in time to avoid the reporters. They interviewed the mother and a few of the witnesses. The people who saw it happen said that you were pretty amazing, and the mother went on and on about how grateful she was."

Daniel shrugged. "It wasn't all that spectacular. I just grabbed the little girl and made a flying leap out of the way. We both got lucky."

"Nevertheless, you did good, and you were the only one out of all those people who reacted quickly enough to help."

"Well, I guess all those years of having to dodge out of the way of staff weapon fire came in handy."

Silence fell between them for several minutes.

"So, how are you and Carter getting along living under the same roof?" Jack abruptly asked.

"Just fine. Sam and I always get along great when we spend lots of time in each other's company. Unlike some other people, we don't get on each other's nerves."

Ignoring the last statement, which Jack suspected was aimed at him, Jack responded, "Yeah, but spending a day with each other isn't the same as living together day and night. Has she yelled at you yet for leaving the toilet seat up? Sara used to before she trained me to put it down."

"No, because I don't leave it up. A couple of my foster mothers were very strict about that. They got rather upset if the seat was left up. I got into the habit of putting it down, and it didn't take much to get back in the habit."

"What about whiskers in the bathroom sink after you shave?"

"I always clean up after I shave."

"Leaving dirty clothes on the floor?"

"I never do that."

"Squeezing the tube of toothpaste in the middle?"

"It's my own toothpaste, and it's a flexible tube, so it wouldn't matter anyway."

Jack paused. "Daniel, are you aware that you'd make a dream husband?"

The archeologist flushed. "Well, leaving the toilet seat up, whiskers in the sink and the way I squeezed a tube of toothpaste were never issues on Abydos, so they really weren't deciding factors on how I rated as a husband." He was silent for a moment. "But I guess Sha're was satisfied with how I did . . . that is when I wasn't trying to do 'woman's work'."

There was another long period of silence.

"What about the other stuff?" Jack finally asked.

"What other stuff?"

"Oh, come on, Daniel. You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't. Why don't you enlighten me."

"Daniel, Carter's a beautiful woman. You can't tell me that you don't notice that."

The utter silence in the car and the obvious increase in the archeologist's tension level told Jack the answer to his question.

"Ah, so you _do_ notice, perhaps a little too much, huh." More silence. Jack looked over at Daniel, whose jaw was clenched tight. "Is this a problem?"

"Nothing I can't handle," the younger man told him stiffly.

"Are you sure?"

"I've had plenty of practice dealing with it." The instant after Daniel said that, he cursed under his breath. Jack looked at him again and saw that he was now staring fixedly out the side window, his hands clenched into fists. Oh boy. This was not good.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you known that you have feelings for Carter?"

Daniel didn't answer for several seconds. "Since I descended. Before that, I wasn't aware of it."

_'Before that?'_ "Okay. How long have you _had_ feelings for her?"

The silence was longer this time. "Several . . . years."

Jack silently cursed. How had he not seen this? Now what was he supposed to do? "Daniel . . . I think you know that, at one time, I had . . . feelings, strong feelings, for Sam. Of course, me being her superior officer, I couldn't do anything about it. In time, those feelings faded. She's just a friend and teammate to me now."

Daniel's voice was tight with emotion when he spoke. "So you're telling me that I should just hang in there, and, in time, I won't be in love with her anymore?"

The car swerved slightly as Jack whipped his head around toward Daniel so fast he almost got whiplash. In love with her? Oh, crap! This had just gone way past bad to totally disastrous.

A choked little laugh slipped out of Daniel. "I guess I shouldn't have said that, huh."

Jack pulled the car off to the side of the road. He needed to focus his full attention on his friend now.

"Daniel—"

"Don't, Jack," the archeologist interrupted. "Don't give me a lecture. I know this is a really bad thing. I know how much of a problem it could cause. I know that falling in love with Sam was just about the stupidest thing I could do. I know!" His voice rose in pitch on the last words. Then it dropped to an unsteady whisper. "But it's not like I had any say in the matter. It just . . . _happened_."

Jack sighed. "I know, Daniel. I'm sorry." God, the poor guy must be in agony over Sam's boyfriend. Jack cursed silently. The universe must really have it in for Daniel. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. First, he loses his wife to a Goa'uld after only a year of marriage, then, when he finally falls in love again, it's with a teammate and someone who doesn't love him back. Jack thought about that. Or did she? He knew that Sam did love Daniel very deeply as a friend. Was there any chance at all that there was more to it than that? What if there was? Jack had to admit that the idea of two of his teammates being romantically involved with each other did not help his peace of mind, but would it really be all that awful? It wasn't against regulations, and as long as they kept their relationship with each other at home and didn't let their feelings interfere with their job, it would probably be okay. It would just be . . . awkward.

"I'll be fine, Jack," Daniel told him, not really sounding all that convincing. "Like I said, I'm handling it. It's hard sometimes, but I am."

Wondering how it was going to affect his team, Jack made a sudden decision. "What if you don't have to?"

Daniel at last turned to him. "What?"

"What if you and Carter could be together?"

The archeologist turned away. "In case you didn't notice, Jack, Sam has a boyfriend."

"Yeah, I noticed. But that doesn't really mean anything. So she's dating this Pete guy. That doesn't mean she's in love with him, and it doesn't mean you should just give up."

Daniel shook his head and gave a short, humorless laugh. "Jacob said almost the same thing."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Jacob? As in Jacob Carter, Sam's father?"

"Um . . . yeah."

"You're saying that Jacob gave you the green light to date his daughter?"

Daniel squirmed in his seat, feeling excruciatingly uncomfortable, and it had nothing to do with his bruised hip. "Yeah, sort of . . . I guess."

A slow smile spread over Jack's face. "Well, I'll be. The old Jackson charm strikes again."

"Jaaack," Daniel nearly whined, wishing he could disappear.

Jack sobered. "Okay, Daniel. Here's how I see it. You can choose to runaway from this, just give up and never take the chance that you and Sam might have something together, but that's not the Daniel Jackson I know. The man I know would fight for what he wants. He wouldn't give up until he knew it was hopeless."

Daniel shook his head. "I can't fight this time, Jack."

"Why not?"

"Because the risk is too great. I could hurt my friendship with Sam, and that is more important to me than anything. I can live with not having her as a . . . a girlfriend, but I can't live with not having her as a friend. Then there's the fact that, if I openly pursued Sam, deliberately tried to . . . woo her, I'd be intentionally trying to steal her away from Pete, and I'm not that kind of guy."

"For cryin' out loud, Daniel. I'm not telling you to go out and try to seduce Carter. I'm just saying that you shouldn't give up on the possibility that she might feel the same way about you. I've seen you tiptoe around touchy diplomatic situations. Just . . . be subtle, feel her out."

Daniel's head bowed. "I already did, a little, or I started to. It's pointless, Jack. She has Pete now. She's happy with him. I can't get in the way of that." He turned back to the side window.

"Daniel—"

"Jack, please. Just drop it, okay?" Daniel begged, his emotions near the breaking point. "Please."

Jack looked at his friend for several long seconds. He reached over and laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. Then he started the car and pulled back onto the road. There had to be something he could do about this. He just didn't know what.

* * *

Daniel was grateful that Jack let the subject drop. In fact, the colonel said nothing more for the rest of the trip. He took Daniel to his car and said he'd see him on Monday. Daniel's return trip was spent deep in thought. Another person now knew his secret. It would probably only be a matter of time before Teal'c knew as well, that is if he didn't already. The Jaffa could be surprisingly perceptive at times.

He had admitted his love for Sam to three people, and all three of them told him not to give up on a relationship with her. Were they saying that just because they were his friends and wanted him to be happy? Well, maybe that was the case with Janet and Jack, but surely not Jacob.

Regardless of the reasons for their advice, Daniel just couldn't let himself hope anymore, not when it came to matters of love. The last time he did, those hopes had been crushed into the dust in the most terrible of ways. It was far better not to hope. Then he wouldn't suffer the pain of disappointment.

Deciding that he wasn't quite ready to face Sam yet, Daniel went home. He picked up the pile of mail in his mailbox and checked on his fish. The feeder he'd put in the tank still had food in it, but he added more to make sure there was enough to last out the week. There were a few messages on his answering machine, but nothing important.

Standing there in the emptiness of his house, Daniel suddenly felt incredibly lonely. He had gotten used to having the company of another human being. Daniel sat down on the sofa and rested his head in his hands. He felt like he had after Sha're was taken, when he finally got an apartment and was completely alone for the first time in over a year.

How could he have gotten so accustomed to Sam's presence so quickly? How could the thought of ending this time with her and coming back here to live alone be so painful? If he had known that volunteering to stay with her would do this to him, he'd have thought twice about it. Daniel sighed. But he'd still have made the offer. He wouldn't have wanted Sam to suffer because of his selfishness. And, for the most part, this time with her had been wonderful. He would cherish it forever.

Daniel cleared the lump that had formed in his throat and got up. He put some more clothes in a small duffel bag, enough for the extra days he'd be staying with Sam, then left. He picked up some takeout on the way over to her house.

Sam was still hard at work when he returned. He watched her for a long moment, his eyes taking in every detail of her appearance Then he placed her lunch on the desk.

"Thanks," she said distractedly, not removing her gaze from the printout she was reading.

Taking his own food to the dining room table, Daniel fetched his laptop and the artifact he'd been working on that morning and got back to work.

The afternoon passed quietly as the two scientists worked on their individual projects. It was 4:30 when Sam emailed her encrypted report back. She looked over at Daniel to see him slumped over the table, head pillowed on his arms, fast asleep. A tender smile graced her lips, and she quietly walked up to him. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Daniel?"

The archeologist started slightly, his eyes blinking open. He sat upright, yawning.

"I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep."

"Didn't you get any sleep last night?"

"Um, a little. My shoulder and hip bothered me a bit."

Sam looked over at the couch, thinking that it wouldn't be the most comfortable thing to sleep on even under ordinary circumstances, much less when you were injured. "Maybe you should go take a nap."

Daniel smiled. "I think I was just doing that."

"No, I mean in the bed."

Daniel froze. "Your bed?"

"Well, yes, that is the one I was thinking of since it's the only bed in the house," Sam said teasingly.

"Thanks, but that's not necessary. I'll be fine." There was no way on Earth that he was going to go lay down in the bed that Sam slept in. Not a chance.

"You sure? I can guarantee it will be unoccupied and available for your use for the next several hours."

_'Oh, Sam. If you only knew how much I'd like to be in that bed when it is occupied.'_ He gave a short nod. "Positive."

"Okay." She gave his back a quick rub. "How about some fresh coffee, then?"

"Sounds good."

That night was a TV night. They watched a comedy that, while not the most intelligent of movies, was good for getting their minds off things, which they both needed. Sam had also not slept well last night, but it had nothing to do with her leg. Nightmares had been what disturbed her sleep, nightmares of seeing Daniel's broken, bloodied body beneath the wheels of the car in the parking lot. She awoke in tears, silent sobs shaking her form. She had to keep herself from dashing out into the living room to make sure he was okay. It took a very long time to get back to sleep.

"When do you want to go in the morning?" the subject of her thoughts asked.

"Um, we don't need to make it early. How about around nine?"

"That's fine. Or maybe we could leave earlier and get some breakfast on the way."

"Sure, sounds good."

They both got up from the couch. Sam abruptly turned and put her arms around Daniel's waist. He stilled for a moment, then returned the hug.

"What was that for?" he asked gently, looking at her closely.

"Just . . . because I'm glad that you're here."

Daniel kept looking at her for a while longer, then nodded, having a feeling that Sam wasn't talking about his presence in her house. An impulse of his own hit, and he bent forward, placing a soft kiss on her brow. Sam's breath caught sharply. It was the first time he'd ever kissed her, and it had felt really good.

Daniel dropped his arms from her and took a step back, putting a safe distance between them. That, he told himself, was a big mistake. Just that moment of his lips upon her skin had made the desire within him almost more than he could resist. He really needed to get away from her for a moment.

"If you don't mind, I'll use the bathroom first," he said.

"Uh, no, go ahead."

Sam didn't watch him leave. She was too busy thinking about that kiss. A peck on the forehead should not have made her feel that way. What the hell was going on with her? This was _so_ not good.

Sam escaped into her bedroom and sat on her bed. After all these years, could she actually be developing a sexual attraction to Daniel? Okay, so she'd always found him very attractive, right from the start, but it had been a . . . a peripheral thing. Um, okay, not _always_ peripheral. She'd definitely noticed that moment she first saw him on Abydos. But once Sha're made her entrance, Sam pushed those thoughts into a dark corner of her mind. For the most part, they'd stayed there, that is until Daniel suddenly began spending more time in the gym. Then those thoughts started coming out of hiding more often. However, even then, they hadn't been of a . . . sexual nature. She had just been a woman admiring the physique of a very good-looking man . . . sort of . . . mostly.

When Sam went to the bathroom, she made a point of not looking at the couch, even when Daniel called good night to her and she wished it back to him. She quickly did her business there and returned to the bedroom.

As she crawled under the covers, Sam swore to herself that she was not going to think about this anymore. She was going to put it out of her mind and forget all about it.

Easier said than done.

* * *

Well, so much for getting three chapters out this week. Real Life had other ideas. :-P


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

The next morning, Sam found it almost impossible to meet Daniel's eyes, and she was careful to leave at least three feet between them at all times. She knew that he was wondering what was going on, but this was a matter of self-defense. She had no choice. The dream made it necessary. Yes, one of _those_ dreams, the kind that made Sam wake up in a sweat, panting, her body vibrating from the aftermath, the memory of a low moan still lingering in the room. She'd lain in her bed, unmoving, for long minutes afterwards as her body calmed down and her mind went crazy. Every detail of the dream was engraved, no, make that _burned_ into her brain, burned with the intense heat of the lovemaking she'd experienced . . . with Daniel. In the dream, he worshiped her body, bringing her pleasure unlike she'd ever known before. Both gentle and wildly passionate, he took her to heights that left her dizzy and gasping for air. It was the most intense bout of lovemaking she'd ever experienced . . . and it hadn't been real.

Now, she felt like there was a huge sign imprinted on her that said, "I dreamed about having sex with my best friend!" She was also terrified that Daniel might have heard something, like his name being moaned while she was in the throes of passion. If he did, he wasn't giving any indication. He just had a puzzled little frown on his face.

They were on their way to breakfast when Daniel finally confronted her. "Sam, is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just didn't sleep well."

Daniel glanced at her, not really believing her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Daniel, you didn't do anything wrong, nothing at all. Really."

The archeologist fell silent. Something was definitely bugging Sam. She was acting nervous, and seemed to be making a point of keeping her distance. She also seemed to be having a hard time looking at him.

During the night, he thought he had heard her moan in her sleep. Could she have had a nightmare? But what kind of dream would make her react like. . . . Oh. He suddenly figured it out. There was one possible explanation. If she'd dreamed about Pete last night, one of _those_ kinds of dreams, she could be feeling embarrassed about it, afraid that he'd heard her. This was something that he understood. He'd lost count of the times when, after having one of his dreams about Sam, he'd been too self-conscious and embarrassed to meet her eyes when he saw her at work the next morning. He had been terrified that he would have one of those dreams while staying here with her. Thankfully, he hadn't.

Okay, so how could he put her mind at ease? Perhaps it was time for a little white lie.

"I slept a lot better last night. I hardly stirred," he commented. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam's body relax a little.

"That's good. So, you're feeling better?"

"Yeah. The hip hardly hurts at all now. My shoulder still aches, but it's better, too."

"Janet will probably want to take a look at you."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that."

Breakfast was a lot less tense. By the time they finished, they were conversing normally.

Janet did, indeed, want to take a look at Daniel, which she did after removing the stitches from Sam's leg.

"The hip looks good," she told him. "Your shoulder is a spectacular hue, however. How does it feel?"

"Not too bad. I've had a lot worse. Compared to a staff weapon burn to the shoulder, this is nothing."

Janet's lips quirked upward. "And you would certainly know what that feels like."

"Yes, I would."

She studied his face. "So . . . how is everything else?"

"All right. I'm . . . dealing with it."

Janet frowned. "By not taking my advice, I'm guessing."

"By taking my _own_ advice and trying to carry on like before."

The doctor shook her head with a sigh. "Daniel, all that's going to do is make you miserable."

"Well, it's my misery, isn't it."

Janet sighed. "Yes, it is. I just wish you didn't have to go through it."

"I really don't have much choice in the matter, Janet. This is what I have to do."

Janet let the matter drop. "Okay, you're free to go. Go drag Sam out of her lab and make her go home."

Daniel grinned. "Psychic, Janet?"

The doctor snorted. "Who needs psychic powers when you and Sam are so predictable? There is no doubt in my mind that, as soon as she left here, Sam went straight to her lab." She pointed her finger at him and gave him a stern look. "And don't you go near your office, mister. I am counting on you to get Sam out of here. Besides, sitting for hours at your desk wouldn't help that hip of yours."

Daniel chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

Sure enough, Sam was in her lab, intently examining some strange device.

"Ahem. What are you doing here?" he asked, startling her.

"Oh! Um, I just wanted to take a look at this. It's the thing I was sent all that data on."

"Ah. Well, I am under doctor's orders to get you out of here."

"Okay, just a few more minutes, Daniel."

"Sam?" After a moment, she looked at him. "Do you want to see Janet stick me with the really big needles during my next physical?"

A smile slowly grew on Sam's face. "No, I suppose not."

"Thank you."

They left the base a few minutes later, Sam in her car and Daniel in his, neither one of them aware that there were two people on base whose thoughts were focused on them.

* * *

Yet another knock on his office door shattered what little patience Jack O'Neill had left. "What now!" he yelled. He looked up from the papers on his desk and saw the door open to reveal Janet Fraiser, a slightly amused, slightly concerned look on her face.

"Hmm. I see what they mean," she commented.

"You see what who means?" the colonel asked.

"Half the base is convinced that you've been possessed by a particularly grouchy Goa'uld. Some of them suggested that I do an MRI . . . or perhaps prescribe some Valium if the scan came out negative."

"Bunch of comedians on base," Jack grumbled.

"Care to tell me why you're stomping around like a bear with a sore head?"

"Not really."

"Well, in that case, General Hammond told me to order you to go home for the sake of the mental health of everyone else on base."

"I'm busy. Paperwork."

Janet watched the colonel for a few seconds. She then shut the door and sat down in the chair beside the desk. "You know, Colonel, anything you tell me could be considered covered by doctor-patient confidentiality."

Jack stared at her appraisingly for a long moment. "All right. You asked for it. What do you do when you've got a friend who's too pig-headed to do something that he really should, and you can't do it for him because, if you stick your nose in, he'll never forgive you?"

Jack's words immediately made Janet think of Daniel. She looked at the colonel more closely. Could it be? "That's a good question, Colonel. As it so happens, I'm in the same situation. Is there any chance that the friend you're speaking of is Daniel?"

Jack leaned forward in his chair. "As a matter of fact, it is. So, what is he being pig-headed about with you?"

Janet shook her head. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I can't tell you. I promised him I wouldn't."

This time, it was Jack whose eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "This wouldn't by chance have anything to do with . . . feelings our archeologist harbors for a certain major, would it?"

Janet's faint smile gave him his answer before she spoke. "Could be."

"So, he told you, too, huh."

"Well, I kind of pressed him to tell me what was wrong after I found him cr—" Janet broke off quickly.

Not quickly enough, however. Jack looked at her sharply. "He was crying?" There was concern in his voice. Despite all the emotional pain Daniel had suffered over the last seven years, he rarely cried, at least when he was someplace where his breakdown might be witnessed. For the doctor to have caught him crying made this situation all the more disturbing.

"Damn! This is really not good," he exclaimed. "I tried to get Daniel to do something about it, to feel Carter out about her feelings, but he wouldn't listen to me. He's afraid that he'll screw up their friendship if he does anything."

"I tried to get him to talk to Sam," Janet admitted, figuring that, since Jack already knew about the situation, she wouldn't be breaking her word to Daniel.

"Personally, I think Carter might have feelings for Daniel, too," Jack said.

"Oh, there's no 'maybe' about it, sir. I'm about ninety percent sure that she's in love with him and just doesn't know it."

"Oh, really? Hmm. That's interesting." A small, sly smile curved Jack's lips.

Janet studied his expression. "Sir, are you considering a little tactical strike on Daniel and Sam?"

"Could be, though I was leaning more toward a covert operation."

Janet leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk. "Do tell."

With twin smiles on their faces, the colonel and the doctor began planning their mission.

* * *

In the mood for something sweet, Sam had stopped and gotten a half-gallon of double fudge ice cream on the way home. For some reason she was feeling a little wired. Perhaps it was a byproduct of her earlier nervousness. She did not want to attribute the excess energy to the dream, though, deep inside, she knew it was a big factor.

Throughout the rest of the day, Daniel was at his wit's end. Sam was, well . . . energetic. It's not that she moved around a lot, although she was more active than she had been since her injury. It was more of an inner thing. After dinner, she suggested that they play checkers, and she played it with wholehearted enthusiasm, beating him five games out of seven, mostly because he couldn't concentrate on the board.

"Come on, Daniel. You usually do a lot better than this," she said after she'd trounced him yet again. "In fact, we usually break even."

"I guess my attention's not on the game."

"Okay, how about playing something else?"

"Uh . . . all right. What would you like to play?"

"Hmm. Let me think about it while I go get my ice cream." She went to the kitchen. "You want some?"

"No, thank you."

Sam came back a few minutes later with a heaping bowl of rich chocolate decadence. She plopped onto the couch, her right leg tucked under her and her body turned sideways toward Daniel. Taking a big spoonful of the ice cream, she let it melt in her mouth, savoring the taste, then swallowed, not noticing that Daniel was staring at her, his mouth hanging open.

Daniel dragged his eyes away from Sam's mouth. "Um, have you decided yet on what you want to play?"

In the days to come, Sam would never quite figure out what possessed her to say the next words that came out of her mouth.

"How about Truth or Dare?" she suggested.

Daniel's eyes widened. "W-w-what?" he stammered, his voice rising almost to a squeak at the end.

"You know how to play, don't you?"

"Uhhh . . . uhhh . . . yeah."

"Good. Or would you rather not?"

"Um . . . no, that's okay," Daniel replied hesitantly, wondering if he'd just made a big mistake. The danger in Truth or Dare was that certain questions might be asked that he really, really did not want to answer. He was more afraid of the questions than he was of the dares. He trusted Sam not to dare him to do anything that would hurt his feelings, and he was certain she would not dare him to take any articles of clothing off.

"Okay, who goes first?" Sam asked.

"You can start."

"All right. Truth or dare?" she asked.

Here goes. "Truth."

Sam thought about her question for a moment. "If you had to pick another career besides archeology, anthropology or linguistics, what would it be?"

Daniel relaxed. If these were the kinds of questions Sam was going to ask, he'd be safe. "That's a tough question. All my life, that's all I ever wanted to do. I never considered another career." He thought about it for a moment. "I guess I'd be a history teacher."

Sam smiled, not surprised by the answer. Daniel would make a great teacher. "Your turn."

"Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"If you could spend a day with anyone who has ever lived, who would it be?"

"Oh, good one. Wow, let me think. Am I limited to people on Earth?"

"No, anywhere."

Sam was silent for a long moment. "Jolinar."

Daniel stared at her in shock. "Jolinar?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't want her back in my body, of course. In another host, maybe the one I have memories of. I would like to really know the person who was inside me for that short time, without the fear and anger that I felt when she was inhabiting me. I'd like to know her as she truly was."

Daniel nodded, understanding now.

"Truth or dare?" Sam asked after taking another bite of ice cream.

"Truth."

"If you had to lose your sight, your hearing or the ability to speak, which one would you choose?"

Daniel thought about that for only a moment. "My ability to speak."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Without sight, I could no longer be an archeologist, and if I couldn't hear, I'd be unable to identify languages. If I lost the power to speak, I could communicate in other ways, sign language, writing, even those machines that speak aloud words that you type in." He smiled. "Then there's the added benefit that Jack would probably be so much happier if he didn't have to listen to me go on and on about some archeological find."

Sam laughed. "You do have a good point."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"If you could change any event from your past what would it be?"

"My mom's death," Sam answered immediately.

Daniel gave her hand a quick, comforting squeeze.

Sam took a particularly large bite of ice cream, pushing the thought of her mother out of her mind. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Same question. What would _you_ change from _your_ past?"

Daniel took a whole lot longer to answer. "If you had asked me that question two years ago, I'd probably have said that I'd prevent Apophis from ever coming to Abydos."

"And now?"

"If Sha're had never been taken, I wouldn't have gone back to Earth, at least not to stay. I would not have joined the SGC, and all the things that have happened because of my presence on SG-1 would not have occurred. I wouldn't have met you, and Teal'c would very likely still be with Apophis, that is if he was still alive."

"And the Earth would probably have been destroyed because you wouldn't have gone to that alternate reality and found out about the impending attack."

"Yeah. I never really thought about all those things before, the ways that my presence on SG-1 has affected things," Daniel admitted. "It wasn't until I descended and really began analyzing my life and what I'd done that I started realizing the impact my actions have had. I guess it's possible that I might have started this self-analysis while I was ascended. I'll probably never know."

"So, what _would_ you change?"

"If I knew that it wouldn't stop me from opening the gate and joining SG-1, I'd prevent my parents from being killed. Otherwise, I honestly don't know. There are so many things in my life that I'd like to change. Maybe I'd prevent Sarah from being taken by Osiris, save her from that hell."

Sam was surprised by the answer. Not the first part. She knew how devastating the death of Daniel's parents had been and how much he probably wished it never happened. It was the rest of his statement that puzzled her. Why didn't he say that he'd go back and save Sha're? She was tempted to ask, but she didn't get the chance.

"Truth or dare?" Daniel asked.

Sam paused. "Dare."

Daniel's mind went blank. What the heck was he going to dare her to do? "Um. . . ." Suddenly, it came to him. He grinned. "I dare you to sing 'Joy to the World'."

Sam covered her face with her hands. "Oh, God."

Daniel's grin got bigger, and he nudged her leg. "Come on, Sam. You've been challenged."

"Okay, okay." She cleared her throat. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog," she began, already blushing, "was a good friend of mine. I didn't understand a word he said, but I helped him drink his wine."

"Chorus!"

"Joy to the world. All the boys and girls. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me." She covered her face again as Daniel started clapping.

"Hey, Sam. Don't feel too bad. You have a nice voice, a lot better that Scully on The X-Files."

Sam slapped his leg, laughing. "Is that why you picked that song?"

"Uh huh. It's also one of the silliest songs ever written."

"Don't you _dare_ make me sing the next verse!"

Daniel chuckled. "Okay, I'll be nice."

Sam picked up her ice cream, which was starting to melt, and spooned in a few mouthfuls. "Truth or dare," she mumbled.

"Okay, I just _know_ I'm going to regret this, but . . . dare."

An evil smile curved Sam's lips. "I dare you to dance like Michael Jackson."

Daniel just sat there, his mouth agape.

"What's the matter, Daniel? Stage fright?"

"Do you _want_ to put me in the infirmary?"

"I'll bring you chocolate walnut cookies if you hurt yourself." She gave him a nudge. "Come on, Jackson. No chickening out."

Daniel groaned theatrically. "Can I have some music?"

"Sure. Knock yourself out."

The archeologist went to the stereo and turned on the radio, searching for a station with suitable music. He knew he was doomed when he happened upon one that was playing Michael Jackson's old hit, "Beat It."

"Perfect!" Sam cried.

You had to give Daniel credit. He did try. Really he did. But then, after the first minute or so, Sam wasn't paying all that much attention anymore. It's hard to watch someone dance when you're doubled over, laughing so hard that your sides are on fire and tears are rolling down your cheeks. Daniel stopped his gyrations and just stared at her. He had to admit that it was great to see her laughing like that, and if suffering a little personal humiliation was the cost, he could live with that.

He turned off the radio and went back to the couch. As he sat down, he let out a slight hiss of pain and winced. Sam noticed and immediately sobered.

"Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, feeling awful. "I didn't even think about your hip and arm."

"It's okay," he assured her.

"No, it's not. That was stupid of me. Janet is going to _kill_ me when she finds out."

"Well, I'll make you a deal, then. I won't tell her if you never tell a soul that you saw me dance like that."

A faint smile returned to Sam's face. "You've got a deal." The smile grew. "You sure can move those hips, though, Daniel."

"Think needles, Sam, biiiiig needles."

Sam pantomimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key.

"All right. Now that we have caused each other loads of embarrassment, shall we continue?" At Sam's nod, Daniel asked her if she wanted a truth or a dare.

"Truth," she replied, deciding that they'd both had enough of the daring for a while.

"What's your biggest pet peeve?"

"Oh, I have lots of big ones. I don't know if I could place one above all of them. One of my very biggest is people asking me questions that I know they already know the answer to just to be obnoxious."

Daniel smiled. "Ah, yes. The briefing when you were going over the plans of how we were going to destroy the weapon on Anubis' ship. Jack was asking all those questions, and you looked like you wanted to throttle him."

"I don't think I've been closer to doing bodily harm to a senior officer than I was at that moment. All right, your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Truth, of course."

"Chicken." Sam thought for a moment. "Did you ever have a crush on a teacher?"

"Yes," Daniel said simply.

Sam waited a moment. "And? Come on. Tell me about it."

"Hey, that was a yes or no question. You didn't specify that I had to elaborate."

"Daniel," Sam said, pouting. "That's not fair!"

"Oh, _now_ we're supposed to play fair, after you make me dance around like I had a whole colony of red ants down my pants." Seeing the disappointment on Sam's face, he relented. "All right. It was Mrs. Harper, my second grade teacher. She was the one who realized that I was . . . advanced intellectually. After Mom and Dad died, I was placed in a public school. I was traumatized and barely spoke. They thought I was slow, so they stuck me in the first grade even though I should have been in second or third because of my age. During that first year, I just . . . existed. I did the work they gave me, but I never asked questions and never volunteered answers, even though I knew them. The teacher pretty much ignored me. I was still withdrawn when I went into the second grade, but Mrs. Harper was nice, and she really cared about her students. She took the time to pay attention to each student in her class. I felt . . . safe around her and started coming out of my shell.

"One day, she gave us an English test, and, as usual, I finished it well ahead of time. I started doodling on a piece of paper, drawing hieroglyphs. Then I began writing the same words in several different languages. I didn't notice when she came over and started watching me. When she called my name and I saw her looking at me, I was afraid I was in trouble. But she gave me this big, bright smile, like the smile you'd get if you unexpectedly found a treasure, and asked me to stay over after class."

"What happened?" Sam asked, enthralled by the story.

"After all the other kids left, she started asking me questions. The first thing she did was ask if I could speak all the languages I had been writing, which I could, of course. She had me speak a few sentences in each language. At the time, I could speak five languages fluently, not counting English, and there were a couple of others that I knew partially. Once I finished speaking all those, I told her what the hieroglyphs meant."

"I can imagine her reaction."

Daniel smiled in remembrance. "She hugged me. There were actually tears in her eyes. She took me to the principle's office and told him everything. He tested me, too. The next day was a Saturday. They had my foster parents bring me in, and I was given a series of tests in every subject. I was also given an I.Q. test. Come Monday, my foster parents and I were informed that I was 'gifted'. I was immediately bumped up three grades. I should have been pleased, but I wasn't."

"Why not."

"Two reasons. I was now the youngest student in my class, which made it very difficult for me, and I was no longer in Mrs. Harper's class." Daniel smiled. "But Mrs. Harper didn't forget about me. During many of my lunch breaks, she came and sat with me, asking what I'd learned, how I was doing. She got regular progress reports from my teachers. She watched over me right up to the time that I was transferred to another school because my new foster parents lived in another school district. On my last day at that school, she gave me her phone number, telling me to call her if I ever wanted to talk. I did call her a few times, when things got really tough, and she always helped me. A couple of years later, she got married and moved away when her husband was transferred to another state." Daniel gazed off into the distance. "She was the first person since my parents died who gave me confidence in my abilities."

Sam's hand covered his. "Daniel, that is a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing it with me."

Daniel gave her a smile and a faint nod. He cleared his throat. "My turn, I guess. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Who do you have the most admiration for?"

"Anyone?"

"Anyone, living or dead."

Sam gazed deeply into his eyes. "You."

Stunned beyond words, Daniel just stared at her, his jaw hanging open. Finally, he found his voice. "M-m-me?"

Sam merely nodded.

"B-but there must be other people, Einstein, Hawking, people like that."

"Yes, there are lots of people I admire greatly, including those two men, but not as much as I admire you, Daniel."

The archeologist's head ducked in that way she knew so well, his face red. "I-I-I. . . . God, Sam. I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. You asked me a question, and I answered with the truth."

Daniel lapsed into silence, still totally shocked by Sam's answer. How could she possibly admire him above everyone? He wanted to ask her why, but he'd suddenly been struck by shyness.

"Hey. You okay?" Sam asked gently after a couple of minutes.

"Um . . . yeah. You just, uh . . . rocked my world a little."

Sam smiled. "I hope it was a nice sensation."

"Yes, it . . . it was." He finally lifted his eyes to hers. "Thank you, Sam. It means more to me than you could ever imagine that you would feel that way."

Sam gave him another smile. "Do you want to keep playing?"

"Uh, yeah, maybe a little longer."

"Okay, truth or dare."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Truth."

"If you could be granted one wish, something that you want more than anything, what would it be? It has to be a personal wish, not something like wishing all the Goa'uld to disappear for good, and it can't be anything that would change the past."

Daniel's gaze dropped back to his lap. He already knew what his wish would be, but dare he speak it? He was bound by the rules of the game, to speak only the truth. He would just have to do so in a way that would not reveal everything to Sam.

Knowing that he didn't dare look her in the eyes, he said, "I would wish to spend a long, happy life with the woman I love."

Sam stared at Daniel, shocked by his answer. The woman he loves? She had specified in her question that his wish could not change the past, so he couldn't be talking about Sha're. Who then? Perhaps he was speaking in generalities, meaning that he'd like to find a woman to love and spend his life with. But he had said "the woman I love," not "a woman I loved," and if there was anything Daniel knew well, it was words and what they meant. He had been speaking in the present tense and talking about someone in particular. Could it be Janet? Again, Sam felt her chest tighten at that thought. She needed to find out who Daniel was talking about. She knew there was a good chance that, if she asked that question, Daniel would put a halt to the game, but she had to try anyway.

"Um, so . . . truth or dare?" Daniel asked, feeling horribly nervous and self-conscious. He could tell from the look on Sam's face that she'd figured out he was talking about a specific person. When they started this game, he'd been afraid that this would happen. He just prayed that Sam didn't ask him _the_ question, the one he could not answer, though he had a sinking feeling that she would.

"Truth, I guess."

Daniel decided to ask an impersonal one this time. "If you could visit any period in time, as an observer only, when would it be?"

With an effort, Sam turned her attention to the question. "I think I'd have to say the Mercury missions, the beginning of the United State's manned space program. That was such an exciting time, and those first astronauts – Shepard, Grissom, Glenn and the others – were so courageous. They really were pioneers." She looked at Daniel. "Truth or dare?"

Daniel didn't hesitate. "Dare." Okay, so he was a coward. There was not a dare Sam could come up with that he'd fear more than what he knew her next question was going to be.

Sam was disappointed that Daniel had picked a dare rather than a truth, but it didn't surprise her. He knew very well what her next question was going to be, and he was stalling. Okay, so what to dare him? Nothing physically strenuous. She was already responsible for aggravating his injuries by making him dance.

"Hmm. What shall I dare you?" She picked up her bowl of ice cream, which was now a soupy mess. "I dare you to do something totally insane, something that you'd never have the guts to do otherwise." She took a spoonful of her melted ice cream.

Daniel stared at her as a dribble of chocolate escaped down her chin. Her tongue came out and licked part of it away. Then she wiped the rest of it off with her fingers and licked the chocolate from the digits.

Something deep inside Daniel snapped, and, before he could stop himself, before his brain could scream a warning, he bracketed Sam's face with his hands, and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

Ooh! Evil cliffie! :-D If Real Life eases up a bit, I will get the next chapter posted before the end of the week.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

The instant Daniel's lips touched hers, Sam's whole body froze. She didn't move, she didn't breathe, it even felt like her heart stopped as the sensation of Daniel's mouth on hers sent electricity surging through her body. She was too stunned and far too overwhelmed to even _think_ of responding to the kiss.

The kiss had lasted for about three seconds when Daniel's inner voice yelled at the top of its lungs. With a gasp, he jerked back and leapt to his feet, stumbling away. "Oh, God! I'm sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that!" He strode away across the room and wrapped his arms around himself.

Sam said nothing, still in shock.

"I should have known this would be a bad idea, staying here with you," Daniel continued in a low, agonized voice, his back to Sam.

Sam finally found her voice. "Daniel, what are you saying? What's going on here?"

The archeologist shook his head. "Nothing. Just forget I said anything. Forget that happened."

"Daniel, you can't honestly expect me to just forget it and pretend that it didn't happen. What is this all about?"

Daniel let out a long, shaky sigh and finally turned around. He met her eyes. "Don't you know, Sam? Haven't you figured it out? I'm in love with you. I have been for a very long time."

For the second time, Sam went utterly still as her lungs ceased functioning for several seconds, her mind whirling crazily. Rendered speechless for the second time, she stared in shock at Daniel.

Seeing the look on Sam's face, listening to her silence, Daniel felt his heart take a long, agonizing drop into his shoes. Realizing that he'd made a horrible mistake, he took a step backwards toward the door.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. Then he escaped out the door. Seconds later, he was in his car and peeling away from the curb. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do. He just knew that he had to get away from Sam and that look on her face . . . and the knowledge that he had probably just ruined one of the best friendships he'd ever had.

* * *

Sam was still sitting on the couch, unmoving, several minutes after the linguist had left. Daniel was in love with her. The thought was still making her head spin. It was unbelievable, earthshaking.

"Daniel is in love with me," she repeated aloud.

Finally, the initial shock wore off, and Sam attempted to get her brain working. What was she going to do about this? How did she feel about it? She had no clue about the first question. As for the second . . . how _did_ she feel? Sam thought about it, analyzed her feelings, and discovered that she was not upset, not even a little bit. In fact, there was this tight, trembling feeling inside her, sort of like what you feel when you're keyed up with anticipation over something you are really looking forward to. But what did that mean?

Sam got to thinking about the things that had taken place over these past seven days, things Daniel had said, and _not_ said, the way he had acted at times, and it all suddenly made sense. _This_ is what had been bothering him.

All at once, the full impact of what just happened hit Sam, the look on Daniel's face, the anguish in his eyes and voice. What must he be thinking? He probably believed that he had just destroyed everything.

Sam grabbed the phone and was about to dial Daniel's cell when she noticed it sitting on the coffee table. She dialed his home number instead. The answering machine picked up.

"Daniel? Daniel, it's Sam. If you're there, please pick up. We need to talk." When only silence answered her, she sighed. "Please call me, Daniel. Please." Sam hung up the phone, terribly worried about her best friend and wishing that he was there with her now.

* * *

Daniel wandered aimlessly around Colorado Springs, his mind bombarded with thoughts of what had just happened, each thought sending more pain through his heart.

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ he berated himself. _'What possessed you to do that? What were you thinking?'_ The problem was that his brain had not been in control. He'd let his emotions take over and run away with every shred of common sense he possessed. She was just so beautiful, so desirable. And that kiss. Even though Sam had not responded, the kiss had filled Daniel with wonder and sent energy zipping through his whole body. It had felt so good. But the price of that kiss was far too high. She knew now, knew that he loved her. And she didn't love him back. How were they going to get past this? How could it possibly not affect their friendship and their ability to work together? Every time she looked at him from now on it would be with the knowledge that he had these unrequited feelings for her.

"What am I going to do?" Daniel asked the emptiness of his car.

Suddenly feeling so very tired, Daniel made his way home. He couldn't go back to Sam's place. Sometime before he was due back at work he'd have to get his stuff from her, but he simply could not bear the thought of seeing her right now. Maybe it would be better tomorrow . . . or maybe he'd just send her an email and ask her to bring the stuff with her when she came to work on Monday.

Daniel was filled with dread over what the end of the weekend would bring. How was he ever going to face her at work? Did he have any leave available? Maybe he could take it now. SG-1 would be on stand-down until Sam was well enough to go back on active duty. Maybe in a couple of weeks, he'd have the courage to face her.

The light on Daniel's answering machine was blinking, but he didn't feel up to listening to any messages. Instead, he sat heavily on his couch, bowed head resting in his hands. The minutes ticked by as he sat there, his eyes burning with tears that he refused to allow freedom. Somehow, he was going to have to fix things with Sam and try to get them back to the way they were before. He could not lose her friendship. They had to work this out somehow. Right now, he just didn't know how.

* * *

Sam took what was left of her ice cream into the kitchen and poured it down the sink. She mechanically rinsed out the dish, not really thinking about what she was doing. Her mind was on the kiss. She could lie to herself until she was blue in the face, but the truth was that kiss had affected her in a big way, and not just with shock. She'd felt charged with electricity, and it had been a very good feeling. What would it have felt like if she had actually responded to the kiss? What would it feel like to have his tongue inside her mouth, to have his hands on her body, to make love with him? Would the reality be anything like the dream? Sam felt herself starting to grow warm at that thought.

What the hell was happening to her? A week ago, she'd never have imagined that she would be having these kinds of thoughts about Daniel. A week ago, her fantasies all starred Pete. That thought made her think of her boyfriend, which, in turn, made her feel guilty. Here she was, in a romantic relationship with one man, and she was thinking about making love with another. She shouldn't be doing this, yet she couldn't stop herself. All she could think about was Daniel and how much she wished he was there right now so that they could talk and . . . and what? She didn't know. All she did know was that they needed to get this straightened out.

Sam went to the phone and called Daniel's number again. There was still no answer.

"Daniel, it's Sam again. I hope you're all right. I'm worried about you. Please talk to me. I'm not mad at you. It's going to be okay. We just need to talk."

Still receiving no answer, Sam hung up. Too wired to sit still, she paced around the room, barely noticing the ache in her leg. She began to berate herself for the way she reacted to the kiss. If she had said something instead of just sitting there, gaping at him like a landed fish, Daniel would still be here, and they could have talked everything out. Now, he was out there alone somewhere, probably thinking that he'd ruined their friendship. He could be driving around, distracted, not paying attention to what he was doing. What if he got into an accident because he wasn't thinking clearly?

The more Sam thought about it, the more upset and worried she got. Another half-hour passed and, desperate, she called again.

"Daniel, please pick up. Please let me know you're all right," she begged, nearly crying. "I'm still your friend, Daniel. Please don't think otherwise. You didn't do anything wrong." Silence. "Please, Daniel! I need to talk to you." Sam's voice caught on a sob. She was just getting ready to hang up when she heard a click. "Daniel?"

* * *

When the phone rang, Daniel made no move to pick it up. He was not really surprised when he heard Sam's voice over the speaker, but the tone in that voice did surprise him. She sounded frantic, on the verge of tears.

"Daniel, please pick up. Please let me know you're all right."

Daniel stood and went to the phone, listening to her talk.

"I'm still your friend, Daniel. Please don't think otherwise. You didn't do anything wrong," she told him, which sent a wave of relief through him. At least he hadn't destroyed their friendship completely.

There was a brief silence, then, in an agonized voice, Sam cried, "Please, Daniel! I need to talk to you."

It was the pain in Sam's voice and the little sob she gave afterwards that made Daniel pick up the receiver.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired shakily.

"Sam," Daniel said, his voice low and thick with unshed tears.

"Oh, thank God you're safe. I was worried about you. Daniel, we need to talk about what happened."

"I'm so sorry, Sam. I never intended to . . . to do that. I never meant for you to find out how I felt."

"Daniel, please come back. We need to talk face to face. We have to get this worked out."

"I can't, Sam, not tonight."

"Daniel, this can't wait. We need to talk about this. Please. If you don't want to come here, I'll go over there."

Daniel fell silent. The thought of seeing Sam tonight was almost more than he could bear, but it was clear that she was not going to leave him alone. "All right," he sighed. "I'll be over in a while."

"Okay. And, Daniel? It really is all right. I promise."

After he hung up the phone, Daniel sat on the nearest chair for several minutes, trying to calm himself. Then he went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face, standing bowed over the sink for several more minutes.

Knowing that he was as ready as he'd ever be, he headed for Sam's. The closer he got, the tighter the knot in his stomach grew until, by the time he pulled up in front of her place, he was feeling physically ill. He went up to the door and knocked, too ill-at-ease to just walk in. Sam answered the door a few seconds later. She tried to meet his eyes, but he kept his gaze on the floor. Without a word, she stepped back and allowed him to pass. He walked over to the fireplace and stood staring at it, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

"Daniel, I. . . ." Sam's voice petered off, and she gave a short laugh. "Now that you're here, I don't know where to start." She took a deep breath. "Daniel, about what happened. I understand. Really I do. I'm not upset, and I'm not angry. It just surprised me. I had no idea you felt that way. No clue. You hid it really well."

"That was the whole idea," Daniel admitted quietly. He took his glasses off and laid them on the mantle. Rubbing a trembling hand across his eyes, he drew in a deep, unsteady breath.

"Because you thought it would ruin our friendship if I knew," Sam guessed. Daniel did not reply to that. "It wouldn't have, Daniel. We'll always be friends. Nothing would change."

Daniel turned to her. "How can you say that, Sam? How can you stand there and claim that nothing would change? You _know_ that's not true. From now on, every time you look at me, you'll think about the fact that I am in love with you and you don't feel the same way. You'll never feel comfortable being alone with me again. Every time I touch you or you touch me, it'll be the first thought that comes to your mind. You'll never be able to be just my friend, because always in the back of your mind you'll be thinking about the fact that I want to . . . to be with you." Daniel turned away again. "It'll never be the same."

Sam gazed at Daniel, feeling his pain like it was hers, wanting more than anything in the universe to take that pain away.

It was then that, in a single moment of blinding brilliance, everything suddenly became so very clear. All the pieces of her life seemed to fall into place as the truth of her feelings hit her. How could she have been so blind? How could she not have known this, not have realized that, somewhere along the way, she had fallen completely in love with her best friend?

_'You are such a fool, Sam,'_ she told herself.

Sam walked up to him. "Daniel, please look at me."

For a very long time, he did not comply, then, finally, he turned to her. She gazed deeply into his anguish-filled eyes for a long moment.

And then she kissed him.

Daniel stiffened, a sharp gasp escaping him, too stunned to move. As Sam drew away, he stared unbelievingly into her eyes, searching desperately for what her actions seemed to imply. And then he saw it.

"Oh, God, Sam," he whispered.

An instant later, his hand curled into the hair at the back of her head, and he crushed her to him, his mouth taking hers. Whereas their first kisses had been gentle, this one was hot, hungry and demanding. Daniel plunged into Sam's mouth with an almost pained moan. She let loose with her own moan and returned the kiss with equal fervor. Their tongues tangled frantically, delving deeply into each other's mouths.

The kiss went on forever, neither one of them willing to break it. Lost in the sensations surging throughout his body, Daniel tilted Sam's head at a greater angle and delved into her mouth even more deeply, eliciting a groan from her. She dug her fingers into his hair and held him to her, high on the taste of his mouth and the feelings that were thrumming through her.

Feeling like they were on fire, their hands soon joined the impassioned search, moving across each other's bodies with ever increasing boldness. Daniel's hand slid down and cupped Sam's bottom firmly, pulling her against him. She lifted her leg and wrapped it around his thigh. A moment later, Daniel's other hand joined the first and lifted her up. Her legs went around his waist. In the next instant, she was up against the wall. She pressed herself against him, feeling his need for her, which was equaled by her own.

Daniel's lips left hers and inscribed a fiery trail down Sam's neck. She threw her head back, glorying in the feeling. She knew she shouldn't be letting this happen. They were going way too fast. But, God, it felt so good, so _right_.

When one of Daniel's hands cupped Sam's breast she let out a low groan and arched her back, pressing herself into his palm. Her breath was coming in sharp pants, heat flashing through her body like little nuclear detonations. She was totally out of control, her desire burning away all thoughts of stopping what they were doing. She wanted this. She wanted it so badly that there was no question of putting a halt to it.

Daniel had lost all hope of controlling himself. The feeling of Sam's body against his, the taste of her mouth and skin, had driven him over the edge of reason. He wanted her, _needed_ her so badly that it was all he could think about. In fact, he'd pretty much stopped thinking and was just feeling . . . and it felt so very amazing, so very, very right.

Letting his need control his actions, Daniel slipped his hands beneath Sam's top, touching the smooth softness of her skin. Moments later, his questing fingers found the catch of her bra and released it. He pushed the material aside, fingers caressing and stroking. Suddenly needing to see them, he braced her against the wall with his hips and legs and pulled her top up over her head, taking the bra with it. He filled his eyes with the sight.

"You are so beautiful," he said low in his throat, lovingly cupping his hands under her breasts. He then lowered his mouth to them. Sam cried out, fisting her hands in his hair.

Assailed by the need to feel his skin against hers, Sam somehow managed to yank Daniel's sweater off. The distance between them closed, and they were skin upon skin, their mouths once again feeding off each other.

Not breaking the kiss, Daniel wrapped his arms around Sam and moved away from the door. He carried her to the bedroom, somehow avoiding all the furniture, and fell with her upon the bed, wrapped in the cradle of her thighs. They caressed each other's bodies, fanning the flame of their passion still higher. Sam reached down and fumbled Daniel's pants open at the same time as he did the same to hers. They struggled out of their remaining clothing, the need to join their bodies taking over their senses.

With nothing left between them, Daniel lay down upon Sam, and their eyes met, communicating all their thoughts and emotions to each other in that single look. Then Daniel at last joined his body with Sam's. A tremor of exquisite ecstasy shuddered through them at the incomparable feeling of becoming one.

Daniel felt as if his heart would burst from the overwhelming feeling. All the dreams, all the fantasies he'd had of this moment could not compare to the reality he was now experiencing. He felt like he was truly alive for the first time in seven long years.

And then another dream came true.

"I love you," Sam murmured, her brilliant blue eyes echoing the spoken words.

Daniel took her face between his hands. "I love you, Sam." Their lips met in a kiss full of the love they had just declared. "I love you."

Gently, Daniel began to move. For long minutes they made love slowly, absorbed in the rapturous feeling of the union of their bodies, low moans and the increasing tempo of their respiration the only sounds they made. The fire within them gradually rose until, suddenly, the inferno flared brightly again, and the power of their lovemaking ignited wildly. Crying out each other's names, they let themselves be consumed by the flames.

With amazing swiftness, Sam began climbing the peak to her climax. And then, suddenly, she was there. Crying out with the rapture of it, Sam threw back her head and felt her very being explode in joyful culmination. An instant later, Daniel joined her, ecstasy beyond description filling his body and soul as he gave himself to her, his body shuddering from the power of it.

For seconds that bordered on eternity, they rose on the powerful wave. Then, slowly, it receded, leaving in its wake a profound feeling of joy and utter fulfillment. The lovers lay still in each other's arms, lungs gasping for air, small aftershocks trembling through their bodies. Daniel's forehead was pressed against Sam's, the warm puffs of their breath wafting across each other's lips. After a long moment, Daniel lifted his head and met the eyes of the woman he loved.

"Sam," he whispered, unable to find words to adequately describe his thoughts and feelings. So, instead, he told her with his eyes. Sam gave him the most beautiful smile and cupped his cheek.

"I know," she said simply. "Me too."

With a happy sigh, Daniel laid his head down and just held her. Sam ran her hands slowly up and down his back, loving the feeling of having him there. So, this is what it was like to be truly in love, this feeling that heaven could not be better than what she had right here in Daniel's arms. Without warning, Sam's eyes filled with tears at the unparalleled joy of it. She had never cried after making love before, not even her first time. But never before had it felt so exquisitely perfect. Never before had she felt like she'd just given away her soul to the man in her arms.

As if sensing something, Daniel lifted his head and looked at her. She was surprised to see that there were also tears in his eyes.

"I love you, Sam, so very much," he murmured.

Sam's thumb wiped away a tear that had slipped down Daniel's face. "I love you, too, more than I would ever have believed possible."

Their lips came together in a slow, tender kiss. Daniel then lifted off her. They crawled under the covers and went back into each other's arms. Her head pillowed on Daniel's chest, Sam sighed contentedly, feeling his hand caress her back and shoulders. She closed her eyes and let his soothing touch lull her to sleep. Minutes later, Daniel's hand slowed and then stilled as he followed her into slumber.

* * *

It was still dark when Sam awoke. The memories of what happened flooded into her mind, and she lifted her head to look at Daniel's sleeping face. What happened between them was beyond words. She'd never felt anything like it in her life. And it was Daniel who gave that to her, her best friend and teammate . . . the man she now knew, without a doubt, was her soul mate.

_'I have been such an idiot. All this time he was right there before me, and I just didn't see. I've been in love with him right from the start, and I didn't see it.'_ But she saw it now, and it was way past time for them to make up for the years they'd wasted.

With that thought in mind, Sam began to place kisses across Daniel's chest. It didn't take long for the archeologist to awaken. His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed down at her.

"Hi," he murmured huskily, giving her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, the smile of a man in love. It was a smile she wanted to see on his face every day for the rest of her life. Daniel's fingers caressed her cheek. "You have no idea how much I have wanted this, how many times I've dreamed of it."

"For how long have you known?" she asked.

"You remember after you guys found me on Vis Uban, and I asked you if there was anything between us? That was the first moment I became aware that I felt something like that for you. I had no memory of Sha're, no memories of our friendship, my life on SG-1, nothing, yet the feelings were there. I think that, for all these years, those feelings were inside me, but I didn't see them because all of my memories and my grief over Sha're blinded me. It took having everything wiped from my mind to uncover the truth." He cupped her cheek, stroking her lips with his thumb. "Even as the memories returned, I couldn't forget what I felt when you were there in my tent, and I looked at your face."

Sam brought her lips down upon his. They explored each other's mouths with slow intensity, searching deeply. Their hands then took up the intimate search, seeking places they had not taken the time to find before. Soon, they felt their passion rise again. Sam straddled Daniel's body and resumed kissing his chest, eliciting a deep groan from his throat. He grabbed hold of her and pulled her upward. He took her mouth in a kiss of wild passion.

In the next moment, Daniel rolled her underneath him. With his hands and mouth, he took her to the peak of ecstasy and beyond, hearing her cry out his name as he brought her to completion.

Daniel slid up Sam's body and sealed his mouth over hers. He held her as she calmed, happy beyond measure that he could bring her such pleasure.

"Wow," Sam finally breathed. "I should have known you'd be good with your mouth and hands."

Daniel grinned. "This is a lot more fun than examining artifacts."

"Glad to hear it."

In the next instant, Daniel found himself on his back, Sam straddling him again.

"My turn," she said. She then proceeded to make love to his body as he had done to hers. Before she could complete her mission, however, he pulled her back up and consumed her mouth with voracious hunger.

Seconds after that, their bodies were joined for the second time. They both moaned deeply from the pleasure of the union.

There was no thought of going slow this time. Daniel made love to Sam with wild abandon, feeling like the very cells of his body were catching fire. It was not long before they both went over the edge, crying each other's names.

The lovers collapsed on the bed, hearts pounding, lungs struggling to bring in enough air. Daniel spooned his body behind Sam, resting his cheek on her hair.

"I never thought I'd be this happy ever again," he murmured.

Sam pulled his arms tighter around her. "I never knew I could _be_ this happy."

Daniel nuzzled the back of her neck, raining kisses upon it. "I could stay like this with you forever."

"Mmm. That does sound wonderful, but I think we'd get hungry after a while."

"Food is highly overated." Daniel's hands slid up and began doing wonderful things to her breasts. Sam's breath hitched in her throat.

"I have to agree that some people do place too much importance on eating," she said, her voice wavering as Daniel continued to use upon her body skills gain through years of handling artifacts. "However, without the proper sustenance— Ohhhh!" Sam's voice broke off with a loud moan as one of Daniel's hands went south.

"You were saying?" Daniel whispered in her ear.

"We'll have Janet hook up IVs tomorrow," Sam said as she turned over and yanked Daniel's mouth down to hers.

It was a long time later when, exhausted, satiated and deliriously happy, Daniel and Sam finally succumbed to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Daniel awoke to a feeling he had been certain he'd never have the joy of experiencing, the sensation of a naked Samantha Carter sleeping in his arms. He looked down at her. Her head was pillowed on his chest, golden hair tousled from sleep and their lovemaking, the expression on her face that of peaceful contentment.

Looking at her, Daniel felt the sorrow of the past torturous months fall away, leaving his spirit feeling light and free. For the first time in a very long time he felt utterly happy. He'd forgotten what that felt like.

Daniel noticed that his wallet was lying open on the floor. He looked at the photo of his wife, a copy of the one he kept in his office. _'I've found love again, Sha're,'_ he told her. _'If you could talk to me now, I know you'd tell me that you were happy for me. I hope that Sam and I will be given what you and I were denied, the chance to live the rest of our lives together. She is very different from you in many ways, but she has a strong heart, a good heart, just like you. I know that I will love her until the day I die, just as a part of me will always love you.' _

The minutes ticked by as Daniel lay there, content to just watch Sam as she slept. When she at last awoke, it was to the sight of his brilliant blue eyes watching her with love in them. She smiled and covered his mouth with hers.

"Hey, there," she murmured.

"Hey."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Around a half-hour or so."

"You should have woken me up."

Daniel smiled. "I was enjoying watching you sleep. Waking up with a naked woman in my arms is something I haven't had the pleasure of doing in quite a long time."

Sam returned the smile. "Even though I already knew that, it's still hard to believe."

"Why?"

"It's almost unbelievable that someone so long out of practice could have been so incredible last night." Sam's smile grew. "You blew my socks off, Doctor Jackson."

Now, most men, after having been given a compliment like that, would have become insufferably smug. Not so Daniel. He blushed. In fact, he turned downright crimson. He got this shy little smile, and his eyes dropped away from hers. Sam grinned, thinking that he was just too darn cute. She planted another kiss on his lips. As they drew apart, Daniel earnestly looked into her eyes.

"You were incredible, too, Sam. You made me feel so alive and happy. It's been a long, long time since I felt this good."

They searched each other's eyes for a long minute, then came together in a deep kiss. Sam lay her head back down and snuggled closer to him.

"I could really get used to waking up like this every morning," she said.

"Me too, though I suspect that Jack might not be all that thrilled if you and I stripped to our birthday suits and snuggled in the same sleeping bag while we're on missions. Well, I take that back. He might not mind so much if _you_ stripped naked at night while on missions, but he sees enough of my bare ass in the locker room."

Sam giggled. "Doesn't appreciate the view, huh?"

"Not especially."

Sam slid her hands down Daniel's body then between him and the bed, giving the portion of his anatomy in question a squeeze. She was rewarded with a little gasp from the archeologist.

"Well, _I_ do," she told him.

Daniel did likewise to Sam. "Ditto," he said with a mischievous grin.

Sam grew serious after a moment. "I guess that's something we need to talk about."

"You mean what we're going to do about work?"

"Yeah. Are we going to keep this a secret or let everyone know?"

Daniel looked straight at her. "I don't want to hide, Sam. I've been hiding how I feel about you for all these months. Now that we're together, I want people to know."

Sam nodded. "I want that, too. How do you think the colonel's going to react?"

Daniel smiled. "Actually, he'll probably be delighted."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he tried to encourage me to go after you."

Sam's eyes widened. "He did? You mean he knows that you're in love with me?"

"He does now. It . . . kind of came out when we were on the way to the mountain to get my car."

"Well, that's a relief. I was kind of worried that he'd . . . take it badly."

Daniel studied her face. "He cares about you, Sam, but not like that, not anymore."

"Did he tell you that, too?"

"Yes."

"I have to admit that I had a big crush on him for a long time. It was never real love, not like I feel for you. To be honest, I was just being stupid and cowardly. He was a safe subject for my affections because he was unobtainable. I could never get hurt in a relationship with him since we could never get _into_ a relationship. I could love him from afar and keep my heart insulated from other men."

"What changed that?"

"When I was alone on the Prometheus, I realized that I wasn't truly happy because I had no one in my life, that I'd been hiding all this time, afraid to take a chance on love." She placed a kiss on Daniel's chest over his heart. "I'm very glad that I woke up to what I was missing."

Daniel wrapped his arms around her. "Me too."

Sam's gaze fell upon the bruise on Daniel's shoulder. She had completely forgotten about it last night. She lightly touched it.

"I didn't even feel it," he told her. "I was too focused on how you were making the rest of me feel."

Sam placed a few kisses on the injury. Then she ran her hand over his left hip. "How about this?"

"It's just a little sore."

"Hmm." Sam scooted down and started placing kisses where the skin was discolored. The touch of her mouth there got an immediate reaction from his body. He ignored it, however, and pulled her back up, having remembered something as well. He laid a hand on her thigh.

"How about your leg?" he asked.

"Not too bad, although I bet Janet wouldn't be too happy with the workout I've been giving it." She grinned. "It's a good thing the stitches were removed. I have a feeling I'd have popped a few last night."

Daniel rolled Sam over onto her back and slid down. He began placing soft kisses down the length of the scar. Something in his body language sent a warning to Sam, and she touched his head.

"Daniel? Are you all right?"

He didn't reply for a moment. "I was so scared, Sam," he finally said in a small voice. "I was so afraid that you were dead." He laid his head on her stomach, his arms coming around her hips. "I felt so damn helpless. There was nothing I could do for you. If you had died—" His voice broke.

Sam wrapped her arms around his shoulders, running her fingers through his hair. "Shh. Don't, Daniel. Don't think about it. I didn't die. I'm right here."

Daniel rose back up and gazed with startling intensity into her eyes. "God, I love you so much."

"I know. I love you, too."

Their lips came together in a deep, yet tender kiss. In the golden morning light, Daniel made love to Sam with slow and gentle reverence, making her feel so beautiful and so very, very loved. Never before had she known that it could be like this, that the act of making love could make her soul feel like it was flying. Wanting to share the feeling with him, Sam worshiped Daniel's body as he did hers, bringing him to the cusp of completion several times before he finally grabbed her hips and brought her down onto him, melding their bodies. He sat up, his mouth descending to her breasts as they began to move.

Flying high on the powerful drug of their lovemaking, Daniel and Sam lost track of time and the world around them, until, with matching cries, they reached their climax, Daniel taking Sam over the edge before allowing himself to follow.

Daniel held Sam tightly as their breathing and heart rates slowed. Then they lay back on the bed, touching and caressing in silence for a long while.

"I never knew it could be like this," Sam said at last.

"Like what?"

"This. What you're giving to me, what we're giving to each other. I've had sex, I've made love, but I have never made love with someone I truly loved and who really loved me back."

"But what about Jonas Hanson?"

"I know now that I never really loved him, and I don't think he really loved me. No, I take that back. I think he loved me as much as someone like him was capable of love; it just wasn't enough. The sex between us was a lot more take than give on his part."

"I'm sorry."

Sam lifted her head and looked at him. "Don't be. It was a mistake I wish I hadn't made, but it's in the past, dead, like Jonas is. All that matters is now and what I have with you."

They contentedly remained in each other's arms as the minutes passed, neither one of them in any great hurry to get up . . . that is until Sam's stomach rather noisily let her know that it wanted some attention.

Daniel let out a chuckle. "I think it's trying to tell you something."

"Yes, it is. It's definitely ready for some breakfast. We've burned a lot of calories these past few hours." She gave Daniel a look that was both sultry and mischievous. "And we need to eat so that we have the energy to burn still more calories later on."

"I like the way you think, Samantha Carter," Daniel said with a grin.

"Well, you always did love me for my brain."

The archeologist's hands ran up and down her body. "I love everything about you, most definitely not just your brain."

Sam gave him a kiss. "That goes for me, too."

"So, breakfast?"

"Shower first, a nice, long, hot one."

Sam got up and headed for the door, giving Daniel an excellent view of her naked backside. Then she paused and turned around. Daniel raked his eyes up and down her form.

"Coming?" she asked.

A grin spread across the archeologist's face. "Oh, yeah," he breathed. He climbed out of the bed, giving Sam the opportunity to ogle his body. Then she took his hand and led him to the shower.

As the hot water cascaded over them, Daniel and Sam explored each other's bodies as they washed one another, slowly and joyfully learning every inch. Quite some time later, they exited the shower and dried each other off. Sam let Daniel have some fun blow-drying her hair, and he, in turn, allowed her to give him his shave.

The breakfast preparation turned out to be an interesting experience, not to mention a challenge to Sam's ability to concentrate. She had decided that it was her turn to fix a meal since Daniel had been doing all the cooking over the past week. The problem was that the archeologist wouldn't leave her alone to do it. He kept coming into the kitchen and putting his arms around her from behind, kissing and nibbling up and down the length of her neck and stroking her body. For the sake of her sanity, Sam finally put him to work helping with the food prep.

This new side of Daniel Jackson was a surprise to Sam. He had never been a particularly tactile person, not the kind of man who touched a lot. But, now, he seemed to really be having a hard time keeping his hands to himself. Not that she was complaining about it. On the contrary, Daniel's display of affection, playfulness and sensuality – not to mention his incredible sexuality – delighted her and made her feel very special and very loved. Thinking back, Sam recalled that Daniel had been pretty tactile with Sha're, hugging her, holding her hand, sitting close enough to her that their bodies touched while they ate. That had been happy Daniel, a Daniel who was in love. It was the Daniel she was seeing now. The man she'd known up until last night was someone who had partially withdrawn into himself, hiding behind a wall constructed to protect the deepest parts of his heart and soul. She hoped that she would never see that man again.

After breakfast, the couple sat together on the couch. They spent a good part of the morning talking, sharing things too personal and intimate for them to have talked about before becoming lovers.

It was not long after lunch that Daniel got the brilliant idea to play another round of Truth or Dare. This time, the questions were a lot more intimate and there were a whole lot more dares, most of which involved removing items of clothing and touching. In the end, they were both naked and rolling around on the floor in front of the fireplace, tickling each other. Naturally, the tickling progressed into other things. The game continued, only there were no more "truths," only dares to see which of them could be more creative in bringing pleasure to the other.

After it was all over, they lay sprawled on the floor, exhausted but feeling high on laughter and endorphins.

Once he was sufficiently recovered, Daniel rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand to look down at his lover. "You are really good for me, you know that? I haven't laughed this much or felt this fantastic in. . . . I can't even remember the last time."

Sam rolled onto her side to face him. "I could say the same thing. I have to tell you, Daniel. If I'd known that having you as a lover would make me feel this good, I'd have seduced you years ago."

Daniel grinned. "Oh, really."

"Yep."

"Well, I doubt that I'd have had much defense against Samantha Carter in full seduction mode."

"Nope."

They both laughed.

A couple of hours later, the couple decided to go for a walk even though it was wet outside. They went to the park that was a few blocks away, holding hands the whole way. Daniel coaxed Sam onto one of the swings. As a light drizzle began to fall, he pushed her, delighting in her laughter and in the sight of her looking so free and happy.

As they left the park, the heavens opened up, and it began to pour. Laughing, they ran hand in hand all the way back to the house.

The lovers stripped off their dripping clothes in the bathroom and took a hot shower together to warm up. This time, the touching soon turned into a whole lot more, their body temperatures rising from more than just the water. His mouth locked with Sam's in a consuming kiss, Daniel lifted her up and pinned her against the shower wall. Sam's legs went around him. A moment later, he was inside her. Sam moaned his name and arched against him.

Their lovemaking was fast and furious, their climaxes coming quickly, launching them into the stratosphere. Afterwards, they just about staggered out of the shower.

"Holy Hannah!" Sam gasped, her legs shaking. "Where are you getting all this energy?"

"I've been storing it up for over six years," Daniel replied, also feeling more than a little rubbery in the legs.

Sam stared at him. "Six years? But what about Shyla?"

Daniel shook his head. "We never slept with each other. She was a princess, and their laws required that she remain a virgin until her wedding night."

"So, that means the last person you were with was—" Sam broke off quickly, cursing herself.

"Hathor," Daniel finished, his tone suddenly dark.

Sam took his hand. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's all right, Sam. It happened. I can't pretend that it didn't. It took a while, but I got past it. It's only a bad memory now."

Sam gave him a hug, then they both dried off and got dressed.

After dinner, they returned to the couch, both of them more quiet and reflective.

"Daniel, there's something I've been wondering about," Sam asked after a while. "When we were playing that first game of Truth or Dare, I asked you what you would change from your past. I can understand why you wouldn't go back and prevent Sha're from being taken by Apophis, but why didn't you say that you would go back and stop her from being killed, change things so that we captured her alive instead?"

Daniel was silent for several seconds, his eyes staring off into the distance. When he finally spoke, it was in a low voice. "If I was limited to changing only one event, unable to influence anyone or anything else in addition to it, and I chose to save Sha're, I would not be able to prevent my younger self from making the worst decision of his life."

"What decision is that?"

"If Sha're hadn't died and we had managed to capture her and remove the Goa'uld, I would probably have left the SGC. I would have stayed long enough to find Sha're's son since that's what she'd have wanted, but, after that, I'm almost certain I would have left, gone back to Abydos with her."

"But your work here has been so important, Daniel," Sam objected. "If you hadn't been with us during those years, there are so many good things that wouldn't have happened, so many ways that things would have been worse. Whole civilizations would have been lost if it weren't for you, including the entire human race here on Earth. There are so many who owe you their lives."

Daniel looked at her. "But you see, Sam, back then I didn't think my contribution to the program was all that important. I really believed that I hadn't done all that much. I never thought that it would make that much of a difference if I left."

"But you do now?" Sam asked, upset by what Daniel has said.

"I know that the work I do here is important, too important to leave behind. I know now that I have made a difference."

Daniel looked away again. "It's not easy realizing that, even if I _could_ go back in time and save Sha're, I'd have to choose not to. But then I think about the fact that I wouldn't really be saving her anyway, not for long."

"What do you mean?"

"If Sha're hadn't died and I had gone back with her to Abydos, she and I and probably all the other Abydonians would now be dead. I wouldn't have ascended, so I would not have known that Anubis was coming to get the Eye. When he did come, we'd have fought him, and we'd have all died. And Oma would not have been there to help any of us ascend."

"And Anubis would have gotten that tablet that spoke of the Ancients' lost city."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah."

Sam's gaze dropped to her lap. "Daniel, if you _could_ go back and save Sha're without it resulting in a catastrophe . . . would you?"

Daniel stared at her profile. "Sam, are you asking if I'd trade what I now have with you for getting Sha're back?"

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. It's not a fair question."

Daniel put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Sam, I did love Sha're very much. For years, I thought that she would be the only one for me. But I was wrong." He cupped her face in his hand. "I wouldn't give up what I now have with you for anything, Sam." He searched her eyes. "Do you believe me?"

She smiled and nodded. Then she pressed her mouth to his in a long kiss.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips. He said the words back to her with all his heart.

As the evening wore on, Sam got progressively quieter. Daniel could tell that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

She gave a sigh. "I was thinking about Pete. He's coming over tomorrow."

"Oh. You're trying to figure out how to break it to him."

"Yeah. I don't know how I'm going to tell him, Daniel. He's a really nice guy, and I don't want to hurt him." Sam sighed again. "But there's no way I can prevent that, is there."

"Not if he feels even half of what I feel for you, Sam." Daniel could see how much the thought of having to tell Pete was bothering her. "You want me to do it?" he asked, although the thought of telling Sam's soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend that he'd slept with her was not on his top ten list of things he most wanted to do.

"No. Absolutely not. I don't want you to have to hurt him to protect yourself."

Daniel stared at her. "You sure I wouldn't be the one getting hurt? He is a cop, after all."

"Daniel, you've been trained in hand-to-hand combat by the former First Prime of Apophis and an ex-Special Op, ex-Black Ops Air Force colonel. No training Pete would have gotten at the police academy could equal that."

Daniel shook his head. "I wouldn't hurt him, Sam."

She looked into his eyes. "No, you wouldn't, would you." The intensity of her gaze increased. "Perhaps you _are_ the one I should worry about. Would you let him hurt you, Daniel?"

The archeologist looked away from her. "I did steal his girlfriend."

Sam grabbed his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You didn't _steal_ anything, Daniel. I _gave_ myself to you, freely. It was my choice to do this. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I'm the only one who has any reason to feel guilty, and I guess I do a little, but I realize now that I should never have gotten involved with Pete in the first place. I started dating him because I was determined to get over the thing with the colonel and have a real relationship with someone. If I'd met him just a month earlier, I'd probably have turned him down when he asked me out. He came along at just the right time . . . or the wrong time, depending on how you look at it. Regardless, I am the one who needs to tell him."

"I'll be here to back you up, Sam."

Sam shook her head. "No. It would be better if you're not here."

"Sam—"

"No, Daniel. You being here would just make it worse. I am in no danger from Pete. He would never hurt me."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Go home and wait for my call."

Daniel was silent for a moment. "You want me to leave tonight?" he asked, hiding the fact that he really did not want to go.

Sam wrapped her arms around him tightly. "No. I need you with me tonight, Daniel. I need you to love me."

Daniel cupped her face and gave her a soft kiss. He gazed deeply into her eyes. "Tonight and forever, Sam." He then stood and held his hand out to her. Sam took it, and he led her to the bedroom. 


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Daniel and Sam rose early the next morning. Neither one of them had gotten very much sleep even though they had done nothing more than hold each other. They were both worried about the confrontation with Pete, and those thoughts had made it difficult to get any rest.

As they got dressed and fixed breakfast, Daniel hovered over Sam, giving her little hugs and touches, letting her know that he was there for her. He knew that she was terribly nervous, dreading what was coming. He wished that there was some way he could make things easier for her.

Finally, the time came for him to leave. He was taking his suitcase and duffel bag full of dirty clothes with him, figuring that he might as well do laundry while he was at home. Sam had made it clear that she wanted Daniel to come back to her place once the situation with Pete was resolved.

Sam followed Daniel out to his car and watched him put his bags in the trunk. Also in there were the boxes of artifacts and his laptop. Since Daniel had no plans to do any work at Sam's this weekend, he figured that he might as well take them and get them out of her closet.

Closing the trunk, Daniel turned to Sam and pulled her into a long, tight hug. "I wish you'd let me stay. I don't like leaving you to face this alone."

"I wish you could stay. I could use your emotional support. But it would be a really bad idea. Pete's going to be upset enough as it is. If you were here, I'm afraid that he might lose control and get into a fight with you."

"I know. But, Sam, if things get too intense, I want you to call me, okay? Promise me you will."

"I promise."

They shared a kiss, then Daniel got in his car and drove away. With a sigh, Sam went back inside. Too nervous to sit, she did a little house cleaning.

It was not quite an hour after Daniel left that a knock on the door announced Pete's arrival. Sam took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hello. I'm the Hoover vacuum cleaner salesman," he said, that familiar twinkle in his eyes, "and I'd like to interest you in our latest model. It really sucks."

Sam gave him the warmest smile she could manage. "Sorry, not interested. You might have better luck with the next door neighbor. She'll buy just about anything if it's a man selling it."

Pete grinned and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. Sam accepted the embrace. When he tried to kiss her, however, she allowed him only a quick peck. Needless to say, Pete noticed. He looked at her closely.

"Is something wrong, Sam? How's your leg?"

"It's okay, a lot better." Sam paused. "Pete, there's something we need to talk about."

"Okay, now you're worrying me. Is it something to do with work? Did something happen?"

"No, it has nothing to do with work. Let's sit down."

Pete closed the door and followed her into the living room. He could see how tense and nervous she was.

"All right, so what is it?" he asked once they had settled on the couch.

Sam stared down at her clasped hands as she tried to compose her words. At last, she took a deep breath and looked at him.

"Pete, something . . . happened. I need to. . . ." Sam stopped. "God, this is hard." She decided that maybe a different approach would be better. "You remember me telling you about Jonas Hanson?"

Pete frowned. "The guy you were engaged to?"

Sam nodded. "Since I broke up with Jonas, I haven't had a single relationship that lasted more than a few dates. I mentioned to you how pretty much every guy I've become interested in since joining SG-1 has gotten killed."

"Sam, if this has something to do with you being afraid that something's going to happen to me—"

"No, that's not it. What I'm saying is that, for a long time, I was afraid to let myself love someone, have a relationship. It started when I broke up with Jonas. It was a bad situation that didn't end well, and it made me a little gun shy. What happened with those other men I told you about made things even worse. I became terrified that, if I got into a relationship with someone, something would happen, and I'd lose them. Because of this, I did a stupid thing. Years ago, I got kind of a crush on Colonel O'Neill. It was just a stupid crush that would probably have faded quickly under normal circumstances, but I didn't let it. I held onto the feelings because Jack was safe. He and I couldn't have a relationship because it's against regulations. I could safely have feelings for him, imagine that I was in love with him, and never have to worry about the danger of a relationship. I hid behind my feelings for him, used them like a shield.

"Not long before I met you, something happened that knocked some sense into me. I realized that I had been a coward all these years and that I was denying myself any chance at real happiness. You came along at a point in my life when I'd finally decided to take a chance again. What we've had these weeks has been great. You took away all the fear I'd had about caring for someone like this."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming on."

Sam's eyes dropped from his. "Yeah. What I didn't realize all this time was that my fear and my crush on Jack were blinding me to something, to feelings I had for another person." Though it was hard, Sam looked at Pete straight in the eyes. "Pete, I'm in love with Daniel. I have been for years. I just didn't see it."

For a brief moment, Pete just stared at her. Then his expression abruptly darkened with anger. He stood up and strode away a few feet. Then he spun around. "I _knew_ it! I should have listened to my instincts and insisted on staying with you myself. He did something, didn't he. He took advantage of you, and now you're saying this to protect him."

"No!" Sam exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "That isn't it at all! Yes, something did happen between us, but it was totally consensual on both our parts. In fact, in a way, _I'm_ the one who went after _him_!"

"I don't believe that. You wouldn't do that."

"Listen, Pete. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but I'm going to anyway so that you will understand. Some things happened that resulted in Daniel kissing me. It was one of those sudden, spur of the moment things, and, afterwards, he was horrified by what he'd done and apologized. He confessed that he has been in love with me for a long time. And then he left. He walked out that door, Pete, with no intention of coming back. He was certain that he'd ruined our friendship. I'm the one who got him to come back here. I actually had to beg. We talked about what happened, and I just suddenly knew. I knew that I loved him. And then _I_ kissed _him_. I'm the one who started it."

Pete's eyes narrowed. "You slept with him, didn't you."

"Yes."

The cop's eyes darted about. "Where is he? Is he hiding in your bedroom?"

"He's not here. I told him it would be best if he went home while I talked to you."

Pete quickly turned around and strode to the door, an expression of determination on his face.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked.

"I'm going to see Jackson. We have a few things to 'discuss'." He yanked open the door and headed outside. Sam ran after him.

"Pete, don't! You're making a terrible mistake. Daniel did nothing wrong! If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me."

Pete did not reply. He just continued to his car. Sam grabbed his arm and swung him around, knowing it was time to throw away what was left of her pride.

"Dammit, Pete, listen to me! I was _fantasizing_ about him! I had a dream about making love with him before he did anything that could even remotely be construed as sexual. Daniel was a perfect gentleman right up until the moment it happened. He did absolutely nothing intentional to influence me, which is totally amazing considering that he's been in love with me the whole time."

Not listening to her, Pete pulled his arm out of her grasp and took the final few steps to his car.

Seeing that she was not going to be able to talk the cop out of a confrontation with Daniel, Sam said, "I'm going with you."

"Why? So you can protect your new lover?"

Anger flashed through the major. "Daniel doesn't need my protection. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. I'm going with you because you're acting like an idiot, and I want to make sure you don't do something that will land you in jail."

"Fine."

They got in the car and headed for Daniel's house, Sam dreading what the confrontation between the two men would bring.

* * *

The sound of brakes squealing drew Daniel's attention to the window. He looked outside and saw Pete Shanahan getting out of his car, along with a very flustered and angry-looking Sam.

"Oh, boy. Somehow, I don't think this is a good thing," Daniel muttered to himself. He went to the door and opened it. Pete stopped several feet away and glared at him. Daniel met his gaze steadily. Then he stepped back, opening the door wider. The cop strode past him. Sam followed him in, giving Daniel a look of apology.

"I want to know what you did to Sam," Pete demanded a moment after Daniel shut the door.

Daniel's forehead puckered in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Don't play innocent with me. What did you do? Seduce her? Play on her affections for you? Get her drunk?"

"Pete!" Sam yelled.

"W-w-wait a minute," Daniel said, his sudden outrage bringing on the stammer that he often got during moments of intense emotions. "You think I seduced Sam, that I tricked her somehow? Why would you think that?"

"Because I know how guys like you operate. You pretend to be harmless, just a good friend, but, inside, you're just waiting for your chance. Volunteering to take care of Sam while she healed was your big move to get her into bed."

Daniel took a couple of angry steps toward Pete. "Now, you hold it right there. You don't know me. You know nothing about me. I don't know who you think I'm like, but you're wrong. Yes, I do love Sam, and, yes, I have dreamed of being with her like this for a long time, but, more than that, she is my friend, and I'm hers, and I would _die_ before I ever hurt her intentionally." He stared at the cop. "You know, if you really knew Sam, you'd know that what you're suggesting couldn't be true. How could you believe that she would be that weak and gullible? She is far stronger and more intelligent than you give her credit for." Daniel paused. "Or is this really to do with the fact that you just need someone to blame, and I'm the best target?"

Rage flashed through Pete, and his fist lashed out at the archeologist. All the training that Jack and Teal'c had drummed into Daniel over the years kicked in, and he dodged the blow, then, taking advantage of the moment that the cop was off balance, he grabbed the man's arm and pinned it behind his back. He only held it for a couple of seconds, however, before giving Pete a light shove forward and quickly stepping back a pace. The cop spun around to go after Daniel again.

"Pete! Stop it!" Sam screamed, stepping forward in an attempt to halt the fight.

"No, Sam, stay back," Daniel ordered. He turned back to Pete. "You want to hit me, Pete? You want to beat me to a pulp? Go ahead. I won't stop you this time. Believe me. I know exactly what you're feeling right now."

"You don't know a damn thing," the cop spat venomously.

"Yes, I do. You're angry, so angry that you want to pound someone or something into the ground, preferably me. And you're hurting. You feel like your heart has been ripped out of your chest and is lying crushed on the floor. I know what you're feeling, Pete, because I felt the same thing when Sam told me that she had a boyfriend."

Shocked, Sam stared at Daniel. He'd never given a clue about his feelings when she told him about Pete. He merely smiled and said that he was happy for her.

"Late that night, I went to the gym on base and started hitting the punching bag so hard that my hands were swollen the next day," Daniel confessed. "Fortunately, that was my day off, so no one ever knew. The difference was that I wasn't mad at you. No, my anger was directed at only me. I'd been too cowardly to tell Sam how I felt about her, and I thought that I'd lost my chance. For eight months I knew that I loved her, yet I said nothing, did nothing. And what made it even worse is that I'd figured out that I had been in love with her for years, _years_, yet I was too blind and stupid to realize it. I had to _die_ and then lose my entire identity before I saw the truth." He snorted in disgust. "And they call me a genius. So, yes, Pete, I do know how you feel, and I am so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. This wasn't part of some big plan to steal Sam away from you. I'd given up on ever having her the way I wanted her. I was prepared to be just her friend for the rest of my life. What happened between us was as big a surprise to me as it was to Sam. But I don't regret it. I can't. I love Sam more than anyone or anything in the universe, and I will love her till the day I die. I can't say I'm sorry for loving her, Pete. I only wish that someone hadn't had to get hurt because of it."

Pete stared at Daniel, seeing genuine regret, empathy and understanding in the man's eyes. He was not expecting this. He was expecting Jackson to be supercilious, arrogant and confrontational, someone Pete could hate. Instead, he was faced with a man who was honestly sorry that the person who loved the same woman he did was being hurt. The archeologist's whole bearing was of someone who did not want to fight, who did not look upon Pete as an enemy . . . someone who really did understand his pain and wished that it could have been prevented.

In spite of himself, Pete felt his anger lessening. He stared at the archeologist through narrowed eyes. "You really mean that, don't you."

"Yes, I do. I know what it's like to lose a woman you love. I felt it when I lost my wife, and I felt it again when I thought that my hopes of having Sam as more than a friend were gone. It's not something I'd wish on any man."

Pete stared at him a moment longer. Then he looked at Sam. Her eyes were pleading with him to step away. The cop's gaze returned to Daniel.

"What would you do if I tried to hit you right now?" he asked.

"Nothing," the linguist replied.

"You'd let me beat you up? Why? That maneuver you pulled on me shows that you're trained in hand-to-hand. Very well, I'd guess."

"Because I know how much you're hurting, and I don't want to harm you," Daniel's eyes went to Sam for a moment, "and because I couldn't hurt someone Sam cares about."

The two men stared at each other. There was no fear in Daniel's eyes, only calm acceptance of whatever was going to happen.

All at once, Pete understood why Sam loved and respected Daniel so much. This was a man unlike anyone he'd ever met.

"Then I guess there's nothing more to say," he said quietly, now feeling only sadness. He turned and left the house, ignoring the sound of Sam calling his name. He was at his car when he felt her hand on his arm. He turned and saw that she was crying.

"Pete, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said in a trembling voice. "I didn't want to hurt you. I'd never have wanted that."

"I know, Sam." Pete gave a short, humorless laugh. "You know, the funny thing is that a part of me already knew that you loved him. I just didn't want to admit it. I suppose I should be happy that you figured it out before you and I made any kind of commitment." His gaze went to the house. "He's not what I expected. I thought he'd be someone I could hate, somebody who wasn't good enough for you," he turned back to Sam, "someone I could win you back from. But that isn't going to happen, is it."

Sam didn't answer. There was no need. He already knew what the answer would be.

Pete touched her cheek. "Goodbye, Sam. I hope you'll be happy." He then got in his car and drove away, not looking back.

Sam stood unmoving, staring up the street long after Pete's car had disappeared from view. She did not know how long she had been there when she felt Daniel's arms come around her. She turned in his embrace and buried her face against him, letting the tears come. Daniel held her for a long time, his hand stroking her hair. He didn't say anything, knowing that there were no words that would soothe the pain inside her.

When Daniel felt that she was ready, he led her inside and sat with her on the couch, keeping her in his arms.

"I didn't want this to happen, Daniel," she whispered. "I didn't want to hurt him."

"I know, Sam, and Pete knows it, too. He's not mad at you, and he doesn't hate you."

"I know. He is such a good guy, Daniel. He deserved better than this."

"Yeah. But I think he'll be okay, Sam. It'll take a while, but he'll be all right."

Sam looked up at him. "I guess you'd know that from experience, wouldn't you."

Daniel nodded. "Though I only had a year with Sha're, it still took a very long time to heal from her loss. But I did eventually." He looked in her eyes. "It might take some time, but Pete will be okay. He'll be fine."

Sam looked up into his eyes. "Make love to me, Daniel," she pleaded.

Without a word, Daniel took her to the bedroom. Slowly, he removed her clothing, kissing and caressing every inch of skin that was revealed, paying special attention to the places that brought her the most pleasure. Once she was naked, he allowed her to remove his clothing equally slowly and lovingly, trembling as she touched his most intimate places. Then Daniel laid her on the bed and proceeded to make love to her with such tenderness and love that Sam almost wept from the beauty and joy of it. They came together, their cries muted, yet echoing the ecstasy within them.

Lying safe and warm in Daniel's arms, Sam sent a little wish to whomever might be listening that Pete would one day find someone who loved him as deeply as Daniel loved her.

_'Take care of yourself, Pete. I'm going to miss you.'_

* * *

Daniel and Sam were subdued for the remainder of the day, though the archeologist did all he could to cheer her up and keep her mind off Pete. They had returned to Sam's place, Daniel figuring that she'd feel more comfortable in her own house.

It was shortly after dinner when Daniel finally got a genuine smile out of her when he told her that he'd dance like Michael Jackson again, if she wanted him to.

"Not a chance, Daniel," she responded. "You need to stay healthy and keep all your body parts working. I have plans for you."

"Hmm. Plans, huh? That sounds interesting." He got up. "Well, my dear, I have plans, too."

"Oh? And what would those be?"

"Wait and I'll show you. Now, close your eyes. I don't want you to see what I'm doing."

With another smile, Sam did as he asked. She heard Daniel walk into the kitchen. There was the sound of cabinet doors opening and closing, then his footsteps moved away. The door to the bathroom closed. A moment later, Sam heard water start running into the tub. Daniel made one more trip between the kitchen and the bathroom. Then there was silence, except for the sound of running water.

Daniel spent quite a while in the bathroom, and Sam was really getting curious about what he was doing in there. She was now resting her head against the backrest of the sofa. She was tired, the lack of sleep and the emotional turmoil of the day having drained her energy.

Sam was dozing lightly when a fingertip brushing down the side of her face woke her up. She looked up to see Daniel smiling down at her.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty," he said. "Don't go to sleep yet. Your surprise is ready."

Daniel held out his hand to Sam. She took it and let him pull her up from the couch. She followed him to the bathroom.

"Okay, close your eyes again," he told her. Once she had obeyed, he led her into the bathroom, which was delightfully warm. "Keep your eyes closed."

Sam stood with her eyes shut as she heard the rustling of cloth. Guessing that Daniel was removing his clothing, Sam felt a little quiver of anticipation pass through her. And then he began taking her clothes off. There was something very sensual about being undressed while her eyes were closed, feeling his touch on her body and being unable to see his hands.

At last, Sam was naked. Daniel went around behind her and put his arms around her.

"Open your eyes," he murmured in her ear.

Sam did so. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw what he had done. The lights were off, the room being lit by the flames of more than a dozen candles. The archeologist must have placed every candle she owned in the room.

"Oh, Daniel," Sam whispered. "It's beautiful." She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

Daniel gave her a smile. Then he took her to the tub, which was filled with bubbles. He stepped in, then helped her in. They both settled into the water, Daniel behind Sam. He encircled her in his arms, holding her close to his chest.

For several long minutes, they stayed like that, Daniel's lips placing random kisses on Sam's neck and shoulders. Then he picked up the soap and began washing her. Sam lay her head back against him and closed her eyes, letting his hands take away all her pain. Never once did he make any attempts to turn what he was doing into something sexual, something to elicit excitement. His touch was slow and soothing, designed to relax her. When he washed her back and neck, his long, talented fingers gently massaged the tight muscles.

By the time Daniel was through, Sam was feeling deliciously drowsy and totally relaxed. They got out of the tub, and he dried her off with the same slow gentleness. After quickly drying himself, he told her to stay put and left to get her sleepwear, not wanting her to get chilled by going out unclothed into the relative coolness beyond the bathroom. When he returned, he was wearing pajama bottoms.

Once Sam was dressed, she and Daniel went into the bedroom. The bed had already been turned down. Daniel left her alone for a short while as he went back to the bathroom to blow out the candles and let the water out if the tub. Then he crawled into the bed with Sam, turned out the lights, and gathered her into his arms. With a contented sigh, Sam snuggled into his warmth and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she was asleep.

Daniel looked at the woman in his arms, thinking that he could not be any luckier than he was at that moment. Then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Sam awoke Sunday morning, it was to find the other side of the bed empty. She was surprised by how lonely it felt not to have Daniel's warm body lying there beside her. She was just about to get up and go find him when he came into the room with a tray of food.

"I thought it was about time that I fixed you breakfast in bed," he told her. "I know Jack would say it's cliche, but. . . ."

"Who cares what he thinks?" Sam said with a warm smile. "You can bring me breakfast in bed any time you want to."

Grinning, Daniel waited for her to sit up against the headboard, then he placed the tray over her lap. He took his place on the other side of the bed. Sam saw that there was food for two people on the tray.

Daniel kissed her. "How are you doing?" he asked, looking at her closely.

"Better. I still feel bad about Pete, but he was right when he said it was a good thing that I figured out the truth before we made any kind of commitment. This would have been a whole lot worse if I'd realized I loved you after Pete and I had been dating for several months."

Daniel and Sam ate their breakfast, then got dressed. At a little before eleven o'clock, Cassandra called.

"Hey, Sam. Is Daniel there? I tried calling him at his place yesterday afternoon and this morning, but he's not home. I know that he was staying with you for a while."

"Um, yeah, he's here. Hold on a sec." Sam put her hand over the mouth piece and looked at Daniel. "It's Cassie. She's been trying to get hold of you."

Daniel took the phone. "Hi, Cass. What's up?"

"Hey. Are you still staying with Sam? I thought her boyfriend was going to be there."

_'Uh oh,'_ Daniel thought. "Uh . . . yeah, I'm still here. There was a change of plans. So, what do you need?"

"Oh, I need your help. You know that I'm going to be starting college next fall, and I've been trying to decide where I want to go. Mom wants me to attend the University of Colorado in Denver because it's close, but my best friend is going to UCLA, and I really want to go there, too."

"That's one of the universities I attended."

"Yeah, I know, and that's why I need your help. I want you to help me talk Mom into letting me go there. I figured that, since that's where you went, you could tell her what the campus is like, give her some inside info."

"Cassie, that was a very long time ago. A whole lot will have changed. I doubt that any of my old professors are still there. Besides, what's the big rush? You've still got time before you have to make a decision."

"I know, but I really need to start working on Mom now. Please, Daniel? Mom's not here right now, but she'll be back in a little over an hour. I was hoping you could be here when she comes back."

As usual, Daniel melted the moment Cassie said the word "please." He could never say no to her when she really wanted something. "All right. I'll be over in a little while."

"Oh, thank you, thank you! You're the best, Daniel! See you soon."

Daniel hung up and turned to Sam, who was smirking at him.

"So, what did she talk you into this time?" she asked.

"To gang up on Janet and convince her to let Cassie go to my alma mater next fall. She wants me to come over now."

Sam's smirk turned into a grin. "You just can't say no to her, can you."

Daniel cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, and you can?"

That got the amused smile off of Sam's face. She knew that, like Daniel, she had a hard time denying Cassandra anything.

"We've got a problem, though," Daniel announced. "Cassie knows that I'm still staying with you. If she tells Janet. . . ."

"Then Janet's going to know that something is up."

"Yeah. I didn't tell you this before, but Janet already knows how I feel about you."

"She does? Since when?"

"Since last Monday. I didn't tell you where I bumped into her that day. It was at that park we went to on Friday. I was upset and stopped there to think. Janet saw me, and, well, it was pretty easy for her to see that I was upset. She got me to confess."

Sam looked at him in amusement. "So, did you spill your guts to anyone else?"

"Um, well, as a matter of fact, I did, though he'd already figured it out for himself."

"Who?"

"Your father."

Sam's eyes widened. "Dad? You told Dad you were in love with me?"

"No, actually, I just answered yes when he asked if I was in love with you. Like I said, he'd already guessed as much."

"So, um . . . what did he say?" Sam asked nervously.

"In a nutshell, he told me to ignore the fact that you had a boyfriend and go after you."

Sam covered her face in embarrassment. "Oh my God. My father was trying to fix me up with you?"

Daniel chuckled. "I guess he likes me. And he was impressed by the fact that you never entertain thoughts of strangling me."

Sam punched him in the arm. "You jerk. You're enjoying this, aren't you."

Daniel grinned hugely. "I am now, though I wasn't at the time. I was convinced that I didn't stand a chance with you. But I guess your dad was right about what he said."

"What? What did he say?"

"Uh . . . he sort of said that he had reason to believe that you weren't in love with Pete."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Daniel."

The archeologist held up his hands. "Uh uh. I'm not saying another word. I don't want you targeting me with your familial wrath. You can ask your dad when you see him next."

For a brief moment, Sam felt a spark of anger toward Daniel. She knew he was hiding something that her father said, probably something embarrassing. But, as usual, the anger died a very quick death. She simply could not stay mad at him.

Sam gave a sigh. "All right. I won't torture you for the information."

The archeologist heaved a loud sigh of relief. "Thank you. Rafael couldn't get me to talk, but I bet I'd crumble in no time if you started torturing me." Daniel instantly regretted his flippant remark about the torture he'd endured at the hands of the Honduran revolutionary when he saw Sam's face cloud over. He pulled her into his arms. "But then, you wouldn't need torture to get me to talk. Just a few kisses and those hands of yours would probably do the trick." He followed the statement up with a long, slow, deep kiss. Sam returned the kiss eagerly. She slid her hand between them to a certain very tender portion of Daniel's anatomy. He groaned inside her mouth and bucked up against her. He pulled his lips from hers with a gasp.

"God, Sam. You better stop doing that or I'm never going to get over to Janet's," he said roughly.

Sam grinned wickedly. "Too bad. I was looking forward to making you talk."

"You can use your interrogation methods on me after I get back." He released Sam and stepped back a little. "As I was saying, given what Janet already knows about my feelings for you, it wouldn't take much for her to figure out what's going on. So, unless we want her to know we're together before we get a chance to talk to Jack, I need to swear Cassie to secrecy, which means that I'm probably going to have to tell her about us."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

"You want to come with me?"

"No, I'd better not. If you and I both go over there, Janet will get suspicious."

"Well, she's not there right now, but if she came back before you left, then, yes, that could cause a problem. I also need to make sure Janet doesn't get me alone. She'll probably ask questions that I can't answer without lying."

Daniel left a few minutes later. Cassie gave him a big hug when he arrived at Janet's. She always gave him a hug when she saw him, but this one was a bit more enthusiastic than normal.

"So, what happened with Sam's boyfriend?" the teenager asked as soon as they were seated. "And how come you're still there with Sam? Is she having more trouble with her leg?"

"No, Sam's fine. Her leg is healing well." Daniel paused. "Cassie, I'm going to have to ask you to keep a secret, and I mean from your mom, too. You only have to keep it a little while, just a day, but it's a very big secret. Can you swear that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"

"Sure, Daniel. You know me. I'm an expert at keeping secrets."

Daniel smiled. "Yes, you are, aren't you. Your whole life before you came to Earth is a secret." He took a deep breath. "Okay, here's another one for you. You can't tell Janet that I'm still staying with Sam."

"Why?"

"Because Sam and I are . . . a couple now."

Cassie's eyes grew huge. "You mean that you and Sam are, like . . . together together?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh, wow! That is just so cool!"

Cassie gave a little shriek of delight and pounced on Daniel, giving him a big hug. The archeologist laughed at the teenager's reaction.

Cassie started talking a mile a minute. "So, when did this happen? Can you both still be on SG-1? Are you guys going to live together? Are you going to get married?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Daniel exclaimed, holding his hands up in a calming gesture. "Okay, to answer your questions, it happened last Thursday, yes, I'm pretty sure that we'll both be able to stay on SG-1, I don't know what Sam and I are going to do about living arrangements, and we only just got together, so isn't it a little early to be talking about marriage?"

Cassie bounced up and down on the couch a couple of times. "This is so great! You and Sam are so good together. I think it's awesome that you're a couple now. Oh, I can't wait to talk with Mom about this!"

"Cassie," Daniel said warningly.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll keep the secret. You said a day, right? So, you're going to tell her tomorrow? When? At work?"

"We haven't decided exactly how or when yet, but, yes, we're going to tell everyone tomorrow."

"Jack, too?"

"Yep. He's actually the first one we have to tell since he's our C.O. We need to tell General Hammond as well. And Teal'c, of course."

"I wish I could see Jack's face when you tell him."

Daniel grinned. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that."

"Can you tape it?"

"Uh, I don't see how, but, if there's any way that I can, I will. If not, Sam and I will tell you all about it." He looked at his watch. "Your mom's probably going to be back soon. Before she gets here, would you like to hear a little about UCLA?"

Cassie nodded eagerly and settled back to hear Daniel reminisce about his college days.

* * *

Finding herself unexpectedly alone, Sam did a bit of housework after lunch. Then she checked her email and sent off a few replies. After that, she decided to do a little Web surfing. In the end, she found herself logging onto the chatroom that she'd visited several days ago. She was happy to see that three of the four women she met before were there. There were also two other people in the chatroom.

NOSY PARKER: Hey, Gate Gal! Welcome back! We were hoping to see you again.

MERRY MARY: Yes, a big welcome back.

REDHEAD ANNIE: That goes for me, too.

DANDI-LYNN: Hi, we haven't met yet, but the others told me about you.

TEENA_T: It's nice to meet you, Gate Gal. I heard about you, too.

GATE GAL: Thanks. Should I be worried that I was a topic of discussion?

NOSY PARKER: No, not at all. We said nothing but nice things about you.

MERRY MARY: So, what brings you back here? Just want to chat some more about Pete . . . or perhaps Daniel? *hint hint*

DANDI-LYNN: I vote for Daniel. I definitely want to hear more about him. Parker, Mary and Annie told us all about him, too.

GATE GAL: LOL. Actually, I'm here to talk about both of them. A lot has happened over the last few days.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Oh? What?

GATE GAL: Well, it all started on Thursday. Um, actually, that's not exactly true, but I'll just tell you about the stuff that went on since Thursday. It was an interesting day right from the start, but it got even more so when, for some reason I still don't understand, I suggested that Daniel and I play Truth or Dare.

MERRY MARY: Hoo hoo! Truth or Dare, huh. *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

DANDI-LYNN: LOL

REDHEAD ANNIE: *bg*

TEENA_T: LOL

GATE GAL: Well, it wasn't that kind of Truth or Dare. None of the questions were about sex, and none of the dares involved the removal of clothing.

MERRY MARY: Are you nuts? You play Truth or Dare with a god like Daniel, and you didn't ask him to strip? Oh, Girl, we have got to do something about you!

NOSY PARKER: LOL

TEENA_T: :-D

REDHEAD ANNIE: LOL

DANDI-LYNN: I agree. From what the others told me, Daniel sounds like a man most women would kill to be with.

NOSY PARKER: Okay, so, go on. You were playing Truth or Dare, and. . . .

GATE GAL: And, to make a long story short, Daniel kissed me.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Oh my God!

MERRY MARY: Yes! Was it with tongue? Tell me it was with tongue.

GATE GAL: No, no tongue. It was a very sweet, gentle kiss. The thing is that it took me so totally by surprise that I just sat there like an idiot.

TEENA_T: Uh oh. That's not good.

GATE GAL: No. Daniel was horrified by what he'd done. He kept apologizing. He told me to forget what happened.

NOSY PARKER: Well, obviously, you couldn't.

GATE GAL: No, of course not. My best friend had just kissed me. How could I forget that?

DANDI-LYNN: What did you do?

GATE GAL: I asked him to tell me what was going on.

TEENA_T: And?

GATE GAL: He told me that he was in love with me.

DANDI-LYNN: Wow!

REDHEAD ANNIE: Oh. My. God!

MERRY MARY: Awesome!

TEENA_T: Wow!

NOSY PARKER: And what did you say?

GATE GAL: Nothing. I didn't say a thing. I was so shocked that my brain froze.

TEENA_T: Oh, that is *really* not good.

GATE GAL: Daniel was devastated. He thought he'd ruined our friendship. He left, ran out of the house.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Oh, no! Oh, please tell me you went after him!

DANDI-LYNN: My God. Poor Daniel!

MERRY MARY: Yes, please, please say you did the right thing and got him back.

GATE GAL: Yes, I finally got him to come back. I pretty much had to beg him over the phone.

NOSY PARKER: So, what happened then?

GATE GAL: Daniel was positive that it could never be the same now that I knew he was in love with me.

NOSY PARKER: And was he right?

GATE GAL: Yes, he was right about that part. Knowing that your best friend is in love with you isn't something that you could ever really put out of your mind.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Oh, please don't tell us this has a horrible ending. You didn't break off your friendship with him, did you?

MERRY MARY: If you did that, Gate Gal, I swear I'm going to find you and beat you senseless.

GATE GAL: No, I didn't. Just the opposite, in fact.

NOSY PARKER: What do you mean?

GATE GAL: Daniel was so upset. He was nearly crying. It hurt so much to see him in pain like that and know that I was the reason for it. And that's when it suddenly hit me that I was in love with him, too.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Whoopee!

TEENA_T: Fantastic!

DANDI-LYNN: Oh, wow!

MERRY MARY: Yes! Yes! Yes! Hallelujah!

NOSY PARKER: That's fantastic news, Gate Gal. I'm delighted.

MERRY MARY: Okay, now tell us the juicy stuff. Did you sleep together? You must have. You'd have to be brain dead not to have.

GATE GAL: Yes, we did. In fact, I've lost count of how many times.

DANDI-LYNN: Oh my! *fans face frantically*

MERRY MARY: So, how is he in bed? We want details!

GATE GAL: Nope, sorry. No details.

MERRY MARY: Oh, come on. You have to tell us something!

REDHEAD ANNIE: Yeah, you can't just leave us hanging like that!

NOSY PARKER: I agree. You have to give us something, Gate Gal. Otherwise, none of us are going to sleep tonight.

TEENA_T: Please?

DANDI-LYNN: Pretty please?

GATE GAL: All right, but no details. To answer your question, Mary, he is absolutely amazing. In my whole life I've never had a sexual experience like this. Daniel makes me feel so incredible, so loved and beautiful. Every time we make love, it's like the first time, and it is so perfect.

DANDI-LYNN: *big, dreamy sigh*

REDHEAD ANNIE: Wow, you are so lucky, Gate Gal.

TEENA_T: Yeah, I'm turning green here.

NOSY PARKER: I am, too, and I'm married! You really sound like you have a winner, Gate Gal. Congratulations.

GATE GAL: Thank you. I totally agree. I've never been happier than I have been these days I've spent with Daniel like this.

NOSY PARKER: Okay, now the tricky part. What about your boyfriend?

GATE GAL: I had to tell him yesterday.

MERRY MARY: Oh, I bet that wasn't pretty.

GATE GAL: No, it wasn't. He almost got into a fight with Daniel, but, not surprisingly, Daniel talked him out of it.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Daniel actually talked him out of it?

NOSY PARKER: Why do you say 'not surprisingly'?

GATE GAL: Because Daniel has a gift with words and with making people see reason. He's a natural born peacemaker and diplomat. I can't tell you how many times he's resolved serious situations just by saying the right things.

MERRY MARY: Ah, so he's good with his tongue, eh? *wicked grin*

GATE GAL: Yes, actually, he is . . . in a variety of ways.

REDHEAD ANNIE: Whoa. Is it getting warm in here?

TEENA_T: LOL

DANDI-LYNN: LOL

NOSY PARKER: LOL. So how did it all work out with Pete?

GATE GAL: It was hard. He's a really nice guy, and I hated to hurt him like that.

NOSY PARKER: But you had no choice.

GATE GAL: No. But I think he'll be okay.

REDHEAD ANNIE: I'm sure he will be. He'll find someone else.

DANDI-LYNN: Yes, he will.

Sam was so focused on the chat that when a pair of hands was laid on her shoulders she jumped an inch out of the chair. Her head jerked upward to see Daniel standing behind her.

"Oh! I didn't hear you get back," she stammered.

"That's what I figured. So, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing important," Sam replied hastily. She reached for the mouse. "I'll just log off. . . ."

Daniel laid his hand upon hers, halting her attempt to exit out of the chatroom. His eyes scanned the screen, and his eyebrows began to rise. The higher they went, the more embarrassed Sam became.

"Um . . . Sam?"

"I . . . uhhh. . . . It's a chatroom that I stumbled onto a few days ago. They, uh, talk about relationships and stuff."

"You talked to them about us?"

"I'm sorry, Daniel. Please don't be mad," Sam pleaded. "I just wanted to share my feelings about you with someone."

Daniel gazed at her. Then he touched her cheek. "I'm not mad, Sam. Maybe a little embarrassed, but not mad." His eyes dropped away for a moment. "You, um, really feel that way, that making love with me is perfect?"

Sam grabbed his hand and looked earnestly into his eyes. "Yes! I meant every word I said, Daniel."

The archeologist bent down and took Sam's mouth in a deep kiss, demonstrating yet again how very talented his tongue was. He then turned back to the monitor. All the other women in the chatroom had been asking what happened to Sam, wondering why she wasn't typing anything. Smiling faintly, Daniel reached his arms around her and laid his fingers on the keyboard.

GATE GAL: Hello. Sorry, but Gate Gal can't chat anymore.

NOSY PARKER: What? Who is this?

GATE GAL: Daniel.

REDHEAD ANNIE: *gasp*

DANDI-LYNN: Oh my gosh!

MERRY MARY: Oh my lord! The god is here! I think I'm gonna faint.

GATE GAL: God? No, there's no god here. Just me.

NOSY PARKER: Welcome, Daniel. We're all very happy to meet you. We've heard a lot about you.

GATE GAL: Yes, I gathered that.

Daniel glanced down at Sam, who was blushing furiously.

REDHEAD ANNIE: So, why can't Gate Gal chat anymore?

GATE GAL: Because, in about two minutes, I am going to be making wild, passionate love to her, so she's going to be rather busy for the next hour or so.

GATE GAL: Bye now.

Daniel logged off. Then he spun Sam's chair around, pulled her up out of it, and swung her up into his arms. Sam let out a little squeal of surprise and then laughed as her lover carried her into the bedroom to do just as he had promised.

* * *

By the time Daniel and Sam emerged from the bedroom, it was pretty late in the afternoon. Daniel told Sam about the conversation with Cassie and how he and the teenager tried to talk Janet into letting the teen go to UCLA.

"So, you think she'll agree?" Sam asked.

"I think so. It's a very good college, and I think it'll be good for Cassie to be on her own for a while. She's been under ours and Janet's protection since coming to Earth. She's a young woman now and needs to have some independence."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Still, I know that it would be hard for Janet to let her go."

"Yeah."

That evening, Daniel and Sam prepared dinner together. The entree was in the oven, and they were working on the salad when Daniel decided that they should discuss their plan for tomorrow.

"So, how are we going to break the news to everyone tomorrow?" he asked. He grinned mischievously. "I vote for walking around the SGC, holding hand and making goo goo eyes at each other."

Sam laughed. "Goo goo eyes? Gee, Daniel, you are soooo romantic." She sobered. "Seriously, though, I'd say we should play it by ear. The colonel is the first one who needs to know, of course, then General Hammond."

"Actually, Janet should be the second one we tell."

Sam nodded. "You're right. Okay, the colonel, then Janet, and then General Hammond."

"Then Teal'c."

"Of course. As for everyone else, it won't take long for word to get around."

Daniel had a thought. "How do you think Hammond will react? Do you think he'll have a problem with this?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I guess it would all depend on whether or not we could do our jobs without letting our relationship get in the way. He might put us on a probationary period, see what happens."

"Then we'll just have to stay on our best behavior."

"Uh huh, and that means no sex on missions or while on base."

Daniel pouted adorably. "But that means that one of my biggest fantasies will never come true."

"Oh? And what fantasy would that be, Doctor Jackson?"

"Making love to you on the desk in my office, of course, which is only slightly higher on the list than making love to you on the table in your lab."

"Hmm." Sam stepped a lot closer to Daniel, pressing her body against his. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to make all your _other_ fantasies come true . . . and maybe think up some new ones along the way." She pulled Daniel's head down to hers and captured his mouth in a hungry kiss.

As they ate, they decided that they'd wait until after work to tell Jack and Janet. Daniel would ask them both to come over to his house, being sure not to tell either one of them that the other was coming. He and Sam would then spring the news on both of them at the same time.

That having been decided, the couple spent a good part of the rest of the evening watching TV and cuddling. That night, they lay in each other's arms, sharing the joy of being together. 


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next morning, Daniel and Sam went to work separately, the linguist leaving a few minutes before Sam so that they wouldn't arrive at the base at the same time.

Knowing that Janet would want to check her leg, Sam went to the infirmary first.

"It looks good," the doctor said upon examining the healing wound. "How does it feel? Is it still quite painful?"

"No, it's a lot better. I'm hardly limping at all now."

"Yes, you do seem to be getting around much better." Janet's lips turned upward. "So, Daniel took good care of you?"

Sam smiled. "Yes, he did, very good care. He was a real sweetheart."

Janet gave her a smile and nodded. "Yes, he is, isn't he. Being a doctor, I meet all kinds of people, and I have to say that Daniel is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. There aren't many men around who are that thoughtful, compassionate and selfless. Speaking as one woman to another, Sha're was a very lucky lady to have him. Not many women _wouldn't_consider themselves lucky to have someone like him for a husband or boyfriend."

Sam couldn't have agreed more with Janet's assessment and would love to have told her so, but she was afraid that might reveal too much, and she had promised Daniel that she wouldn't tell Janet anything until their get-together tonight.

Sam then began wondering about the doctor's praise of Daniel. Was it possible that Janet had feelings for him other than friendship? She really hoped not. She hated the idea of Janet getting hurt when the doctor found out that Sam and Daniel were now a couple. Perhaps it would be a good idea to find out ahead of time.

"You seem to have some pretty strong feelings for Daniel," she remarked cautiously.

The physician looked at her in surprise. "What? No! I mean, yes, I do care about him a great deal as a friend, but that's all. There's nothing more than that."

"You sure?"

"Yes! I'm positive. Daniel is a wonderful guy, but I have no feelings for him other than deep respect and friendship." Janet picked up Sam's chart and jotted something down. "Well, you have my official permission to go back to work. But I don't want you overdoing it. None of those sixteen, eighteen-hour stretches. You are to go home at a reasonable hour and get a full night's sleep, you got it?"

"Aye aye, sir," Sam responded with a smile.

She got dressed and headed to her lab, eager to get back to work. She'd been at it for only an hour, though, when Colonel O'Neill showed up. Trying not to show her impatience at the interruption, she greeted him.

"Hey, Carter. So, I see you survived the rest of your time with Daniel," he said.

"Yes, sir. Everything went fine."

"You know, it never ceases to amaze me how well you two get along. Doesn't Daniel get on your nerves at all?"

"No, sir. I never have any problem with that."

"Don't you guys ever argue?"

Sam thought about it. "We've had some minor disagreements, but there was really only one time I remember when we actually argued." She was referring to when they'd disagreed over the situation with the Eurondans.

"What about this Pete guy. You ever argue with him?"

Sam managed to keep her emotions off her face. "We've had a few arguments."

"Hmm. Interesting."

Sam frowned. "How so?"

"Oh, it's just kind of strange that you get along better with Daniel than you do with your boyfriend."

Sam stared at her C.O. "Daniel and I just have very compatible personalities, sir," she said.

"Yeah, probably has something to do with the fact that you're both way smarter than everyone else."

Sam opened her mouth to refute his statement, then changed her mind. Actually, the fact that Daniel was her intellectual equal was a factor in how well they got along.

"Um, if you will excuse me, sir, I really need to get back to work," she said instead. "All that lost time put me way behind."

"Oh. Yeah, sure. See ya later."

Sam watched the man leave, then shook her head and got back to work.

* * *

Not long after Sam's checkup, Janet requested that Daniel come to the infirmary. When he got there, she took a look at his hip and shoulder.

"Well, the bruises are beginning to fade. How do they feel?" she asked.

"All right. The hip's hardly sore at all. The shoulder's still a little tender."

Janet looked at him more closely. "And how are you doing otherwise?"

Daniel paused, not knowing how to answer that question truthfully without spilling the beans. "I'm all right, Janet. You don't have to worry," he said at last.

"Well, I've already told you what I think." Janet lowered her voice almost to a whisper so that nobody would overhear her. "I really believe that, if you told her how you feel, she wouldn't turn you down. She cares about you a great deal, Daniel."

Daniel really couldn't reply to that without blowing the secret, so he chose to say nothing. After a long moment of silence, Janet gave a little sigh and told him that he could leave.

The archeologist returned to his office and got back to work. Jack showed up a little over an hour later.

"Back at it, I see," he commented.

Daniel did not turn his attention from his computer. "Yes, I've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Didn't get much work done while you were with Carter?"

Daniel paused a moment before replying. "I got some done, but Sam and I ended up spending a lot of time talking or playing games. She was kind of bored not having any work to do."

"Yeah, I just saw her. She's right back at it, just like you. There's probably some dictionary somewhere that has a picture of you and her together under the definition of 'workaholic'."

Daniel turned to him. "Is there some particular reason why you're here or is this just a 'bored Jack' visit?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing. I also wanted to see if you've come to your senses about telling Carter how you feel."

Daniel sighed. First Janet, now Jack. He was really wishing that he hadn't told either of them his secret. On the other hand, he couldn't wait to see what their reactions were going to be.

Again presented with the problem of what to say without making it a lie, Daniel chose avoidance. He turned back to his computer. "I've really got a lot of work to do, Jack, so, if you will excuse me. . . ."

Jack stared at him a moment longer, then shook his head in exasperation. "We will talk about this again, Daniel."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," Daniel murmured as the colonel left. He got back to work, hoping that he'd manage to get through the rest of the day without another visit from the man. He planned on waiting until the end of the day to ask Jack over. That was the only way he'd be able to avoid being peppered with questions from the curious colonel. He was also going to wait until just before leaving to talk to Janet. It was going to be an interesting evening, that's for sure.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Jack asked Janet. They were in her office, the door closed.

"Not so good," the doctor replied. "In fact it sort of backfired."

"How?"

"Well, I did as we agreed and talked about how nice Daniel is and how he'd be a great husband or boyfriend. The problem is that Sam began to suspect that _I_had feelings for him."

"What?" Jack exclaimed. He quickly lowered his voice when he saw several people turn toward the office. "Damn, that's not good."

"I was quick to assure her that wasn't the case, but I decided that I'd better back off."

"Yeah, good thinking."

"What about you? How did your talk with her go?"

"I'm not really sure. I talked about how she and Daniel get along so well, but I couldn't tell if it made any kind of impact. What about Daniel? Any luck with him?"

Janet shook her head. "Not a bit."

"Same here. Like running up against a brick wall."

"So, do we go on to the next step?"

"No, I think we need to go straight to the heavy artillery, a full scale assault," Jack replied.

"Are you sure we should do that this soon?"

"Yes. I'm hoping we'll overwhelm their defenses before they have time to call for reinforcements."

"All right. I'll make the calls."

* * *

It was just after 2:30 when Sam unexpectedly came into Daniel's office and closed the door. She then walked up to him, turned him around in his chair, and proceeded to give him a kiss that felt like she was trying to excavate his tonsils. Daniel's face wore a stunned expression as she drew away, one reminiscent of the look he had when Sha're laid that whopper of a kiss on him as he was leaving to show Jack and Sam the map room on Abydos.

"Wow," he breathed. "I really like how you say hello now, Sam. But you'd better be careful. Otherwise, we're going to be breaking our rule about no sex while on base."

"That was just a thank you for the roses," she told him.

A puzzled frown knit Daniel's brow. "What roses?"

Sam examined his face. "You didn't send me flowers?"

"Um, no, though I really wish I had now. You got flowers?"

"Yeah. The card said they were from you." She pulled it out of her pocket and showed it to Daniel. It said, _"To a beautiful friend and a beautiful woman whom I will always cherish. Love, Daniel." _

Daniel's expression changed to concern. "I swear I didn't send them, Sam."

"Then who—"

Sam's question was cut off by a knock on the door. Daniel opened the door and found Sergeant Deeds on the other side with a huge box of chocolates.

"Um, sir, this arrived for you," he said, handing the box to Daniel.

"Uh . . . thanks, Raymond."

The sergeant nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

Daniel stared puzzledly at the box, seeing that there was a sealed envelope attached to the top. He opened it. "Um, Sam, did you send these?"

"No. Why?"

Daniel showed her the note. It read, _"Thank you for everything, Daniel. I really loved the time we spent together. You are such a wonderful friend, and I would love to spend more time with you in the future. All my love, Sam." _

"Okay, what's going on here?" Sam asked.

Daniel looked at the two typewritten notes, a suspicion beginning to form. "I think someone's taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker. It has to be either Jack or Janet. My money's on Jack."

"Why?"

"I swore Janet to secrecy, made her promise that she wouldn't reveal anything to you about my feelings. While this isn't actually telling you that I'm in love with you, it's still coming awfully close to breaking that promise. I didn't, however, exact an oath from Jack, something I now realize was an oversight on my part."

"You know, thinking about it, the colonel did say some rather odd things when he came to see me."

"Oh? What, for instance?"

"He commented on how well we get along together, and he asked if I ever argued with Pete. When I admitted that I did, he remarked that it was interesting that I got along better with you than with Pete. He's never talked to me about the relationship that you and I have, so it really surprised me. Now I understand it. So, what should we do about this?"

"Well, I'm guessing that this was meant to act as a catalyst. Jack had to know that we'd find out that someone else sent these things. He probably figured that we'd start talking, I'd have to admit my feelings for you, then one thing would lead to another, and. . . ." Daniel trailed off, letting Sam's mind fill in the rest. He shook his head, starting to get mad. "You know, if it wasn't for the fact that Jack's little matchmaking attempt is a few days late, I'd really be angry. I told him that I believed you didn't feel the same way about me and that I didn't want you to know how I felt because of my fear that it would hurt our friendship. Jack just chose to ignore my wishes." He frowned deeply. "I thought I could trust him to let me handle this the way I wanted to."

Sam began thinking about something. "What if he was pretty certain it was a sure bet that I reciprocated your feelings?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just started thinking about some things Janet said to me when she came over to check up on me, after she found out that you were in love with me." Sam recounted the conversation to Daniel.

"You think she figured out before you did that you were in love with me and was trying to make you see it?"

Sam nodded. "It makes sense. It was like she was trying to steer my attention away from Pete."

"And toward me."

"Uh huh. You know, when she checked my leg this morning, she was really singing your praises. She made the comment that you were great husband material."

Daniel laughed. "You're kidding."

"Nope. I think she was trying to draw my attention to you again."

"Sam, are you thinking that Jack and Janet are in this together?"

"Well, they both knew about your feelings. If the colonel happened to reveal something to Janet, she'd probably tell him what she knew."

"And they hatched this scheme together." Daniel shook his head and laughed again. "The thought of Jack and Janet playing matchmaker together. . . ."

Sam let out a laugh. "I wish I could have seen that. So, what are we going to do?"

Daniel smiled. "I'd say it's time to confront our two would-be matchmakers."

* * *

A silent figure slipped into Colonel O'Neill's office. He looked around the room for a moment, then headed to a small bookshelf. Making space between two of the books, he placed something on the shelf, pushing it back far enough that the shadows partially hid it. Then he pressed a button on the device and left the room.

Sam looked at Daniel as he exited the room. "All set?" she asked.

"Uh huh." The archeologist grinned. "Cassie's going to get her video."

* * *

Janet knocked on the door of Colonel O'Neill's office, wondering if he'd summoned her because of their little scheme. She opened the door upon hearing his voice bidding her to enter.

"Hey, Doc. What's up?" Jack asked.

Janet paused. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Why did you call for me?"

Jack frowned. "I didn't call for you. I got a message that you wanted to talk with me here."

Just then, two other people strode into the room, shutting the door behind them. Daniel and Sam marched up to Jack's desk and tossed a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates onto it. Neither one of them looked very happy.

"You want to explain these?" Daniel snapped, glaring at both the colonel and Janet.

_'Oh, crap,'_ Jack thought. _'I get the feeling things didn't go as planned.'_Thinking that it might be the only thing standing between him and a black eye, he chose to feign ignorance. "Um, well, they look like flowers and candy, Daniel. What would you like me to explain about them?"

"Cut the crap, Jack. I know that you're behind this." Daniel turned to Janet. "And I know that you had a hand in it."

The guilt written all over the doctor's face confirmed that she was, indeed, in on it. Daniel and Sam both turned back to Jack, focusing their stares on him. He shifted uncomfortably under the combined power of their eyes.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud!" he finally blurted out. "Someone had to light a fire under you, Daniel, and get your head out of the sand, Carter. You're both in love with each other, so stop beating around the bush and do something about it!"

"Sir, I never said I was in love with Daniel," Sam told him. Then she looked straight at Janet. "That was an assumption on the part of a certain doctor. However, that no longer matters now."

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes. As it turns out, you were, as the old saying goes, a day late and a dollar short with your little matchmaking attempt. Actually, you're about four days late."

"Huh?" Jack responded.

"Daniel already told me how he feels. We worked everything out last Thursday," Sam explained, keeping her expression neutral.

"Why didn't you tell me that this morning?" Janet and Jack asked Daniel simultaneously.

"And what exactly does 'worked everything out' mean?" Janet added.

"I didn't tell you because Sam and I weren't ready for you to know, and it means that SG-1 might be in for a few changes," Daniel replied.

"What. . . ." An expression of distress came to Jack's face. "Daniel, don't do this. You and Carter can still work together. You two can get past this, work things out. It doesn't have to ruin your friendship. Don't leave the team."

"I didn't say I was leaving the team, Jack," Daniel told him.

"You're not?" Jack looked at Sam. "Then it's you who's leaving?"

"No, sir."

"Then what the hell are we talking about here?" Jack asked in frustration.

Daniel finally dropped the act he'd been putting on. The anger in his stance disappeared. "Well, along with a few other minor things, Sam and I were going to request that the sleeping arrangements on missions be changed."

_'Sleeping arrangements?'_ Jack repeated in his mind. _'What does that mean? We usually all sleep in separate. . . . Oh!'_A big smile began growing on the colonel's face. He pointed back and forth between his two youngest teammates. "You mean you two are. . . ."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other, communicating silently. "Yes," they said at the same time as they turned back to Jack. Then they smiled.

Jack's smile became a full-blown grin. "Well, I'll be."

Janet gave a happy laugh and engulfed Sam in a hug. She then did the same to Daniel. "I feel so silly now. Here we were, making all those plans to get you two to come to your senses, and you did it on your own. So, how did it happen?" she asked.

"I guess you can chalk it all up to a bowl of double fudge ice cream and a game of Truth or Dare," Daniel replied.

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Truth or Dare?" A wicked grin just about split his face in half. "Daniel, you dog. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Actually, sir, the game was my idea," Sam told him.

Jack looked at her in surprise. "Really? Well, well, Carter. I had no idea you could be that . . . daring."

Daniel grinned mischievously. "You have no idea, Jack, no idea at all." He put his arm around Sam's waist and exchanged a secretive look with her. Then, taking her hand in his, he headed with her toward the door.

Dying to know what the archeologist meant by that statement, Jack remembered something else he said. "Hey, what was that about ice cream? Where did that come in?"

Not answering his question, the couple continued out of the room, hearing their C.O.'s voice following in their wake.

"Hey! Come on, now! You're not going to keep us in suspense, are you?" he whined. "Daniel? Carter?" There was a pause. "Oh, for cryin' out loud!"

EPILOG

The Tok'ra named Harbin entered Jacob's quarters. "This message came for you from the Tau'ri," he said. "It took a while for us to get it, so I hope it was not urgent." The man handed the message disc to him.

"Thanks."

After the Tok'ra had left, Jacob put the disc in the reader, and a short message appeared on the screen.

_You were right, Jacob. Thank you. Sam says thank you, too._

Daniel.

A big grin spread over Jacob Carter's face. Then he started laughing.

_'So, Selmak,'_ he said to his symbiote, _'you think you're ready to be a grandparent again?' _

THE END

* * *

Well, there it is, the final chapter. I hope that all of you have enjoyed the story.


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